In Accordance with Law and Honour
by Miran-chan
Summary: The failed wedding has left behind a mess, one that Nabiki hopes to be able to fix. However, her plan is so convoluted that it needs to work perfectly, or the happiness of a lot of people will be on the line. Eventual RanmaxAkane
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Note: Hello everyone! I have started on a new fanfic, about our favourite aquatransverstite in 20 parts. Sit back and enjoy the madness :)

_Discalaimer: I do not own anything from the Ranma 1/2 Universe, other than this crazy idea. That honour goes to Takahashi-san, I just felt like cleaning up the post-wedding fiasco..._

All things considered, it was ironic that after over a year and being the one who was adding fuel to the fire, Tendo Nabiki decided that enough was enough.

Since her mother's death a decade previously, Nabiki had worked hard to acquire a reputation as a hard and financially savvy woman, particularly because of Kasumi. Her older sister had taken on the burden of keeping the house at the time, but outside of buying supplies, was woefully inadequate when it came to financial matters. The middle sister had always been told that she had a head for numbers and decided that she would do what she could to help.

Years of using information to her advantage brought her to this moment, where she was sitting in her room, her family home damaged and tarnished, and worrying about the future which, thanks to her own machinations, looked to be more uncertain than ever.

Normally, Nabiki would never have done anything illegal, but the results of her recent 'sale' made her sit up and take notice.

Her questionable activities had started rather innocently several years before. Nabiki had been learning to develop pictures as part of the photography club when a class mate and another member of the club had approached her with a strange request. Seeing as most of her pictures were those of her friends, the boy had asked if she would give him one, featuring that girl that he liked.

As a joke, Nabiki had requested 500 yen, and was surprised when the boy reached for his wallet and handed over 5 shiny coins.

At first, she and her friends had laughed it off as a fluke, but somehow, the word had spread. More people, mostly boys, had started lining up, cash in hand, in order to acquire picture of their object of desire. And try as she might, the middle Tendo had found herself powerless to refuse, as for the first time in over three years there was a way that she could help supplement the family's income. As time went on, Nabiki went out of her way to acquire more and more pictures and sell them for more and more money, arguing that she only had a limited supply of paper on which to print them.

Her friends, the ones that had been supportive at the onset, had begun to feel uncomfortable and stopped associating with her.

The pain and rejection hurt, and Nabiki acquired a new source of income – information. She had learnt to take pictures covertly, bought all the supplies to do the developing in the comfort of her own home, and started selling the boys in her school the things they wanted to hear – what hobbies each girl had, how to win her over, what they loved and hated. By the end of that school year, she had established a net of information and gossip, all of which was for sale for the right price, as long as no lives were endangered.

She lost the majority of her old friends, but new ones sprung up. Over the next year, the brunette had discovered that in the strange town that was Nerima, it was possible and easy to have groupies. Students came to her to learn about how to run a business and do her bidding for her, most not even realising that with working for free, they were being exploited as much as the people they were spying on.

So it was amazing that after all the ways that she had used to exploit Akane, Ranma and the various bits of chaos that have been following since the arrival of the cursed youth, Nabiki finally decided that it was up to her to stop the nonsense and cut off her own supply of cash.

But perhaps it was not so amazing, considering that she finally had enough to go to university in Tokyo U with. The confirmation of her application had arrived that morning, as well as the confirmation that she had won a substantial scholarship for to cover a large part of her tuition and living costs. The possibility of interning as an investigative financial journalist over the summer also beckoned, meaning that for the first time ever, she had enough money set aside to support her own dreams and help her sisters survive the next few years in relative financial security.

It was now pretty certain that Kasumi would have enough to support herself, father and Akane until the youngest graduated, and Akane would probably be able to go to university if everything worked out. There was just one hitch – her plan had to work perfectly, or there would be hell to pay.

Sighing, Tendo Nabiki lifted the phone receiver to make two very important phone calls.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**AN:** Hello my dears! Very sorry for this, I have been overwhelmed with work, life, and sitting in a place where I could not proof the story. But now, I should have a little more time to upload and edit this, so if we are lucky, I may get up another couple of chapters this week.

For now enjoy! The scene is being set...

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I own nothing other than a headache and an army of plush penguins.

Saotome Nodoka sat in her house at the dining table, watching her guest with hidden apprehension.

Nabiki appeared to be relaxed, but as she took a sip of tea, she eyed the Saotome clan blade and her eyebrow twitched almost imperceptivity.

They sat this way, in the absolute still and quiet, waiting for someone to finally make a move.

Just as Nodoka was about to lean forward and question her guest as to her presence there, Nabiki put her cup down and spoke. "Saotome-same, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Tendo-san, of course. May I inquire as to why you are here and how much this visit will cost me?"

This time, the wince was quite visible to the untrained eye, as the middle sister clearly deflated from her normally stoic and composed cool self.

"Nothing Aunty. I think it is time we ended all of this nonsense. But I will be needing your help to pull it off."

The matriarch of her family considered the statement. On the one hand, the girl before her seemed to truly be tired of the madness and wanting to make amends. More than once in the last month she had seen Nabiki eye her sister with sadness, and as far as Ranma's mother was aware, the middle Tendo had not actually done anything to sabotage the relationship since the failed wedding. On the other, it was Tendo Nabiki, a well known manipulator, who was not about using any situation to her advantage.

"Tell me, why would you be willing to help Ranma after all the times you have exploited him?"

"Exploited him? He and that stupid pand – Saotome-san – they were living off a family that had no income, eating more than we could ever afford and allowing our hopes for the future, financial stability, independence to be destroyed! To be told that you had to marry someone on the whim of a father, someone that we had never met was low, not to mention the pressure that the fathers were exerting was illegal! And they never contributed to the household in any way! I was just protecting Kasumi!" For the first time in her memory, Nodoka could see the middle girl truly angry, practically fuming at the ears.

More worryingly, it was probably true, at least in part, if the Saotome matriarch considered the way she had seen her husband act. So instead of getting angry at the mention of her family's honour being tarnished, she nodded and asked a more pressing question.

"So, what has changed."

Nabiki had clearly been ready for a fight, not quiet acceptance, as she blinked and relaxed her shoulders. "He loves her, Aunty. I didn't believe it at first, but Jusendo proved it. Ranma killed for her, and I know that he hates killing. And before you ask about why I did what I did at the wedding, do you really think that either of them are ready for marriage now? Kasumi and I agreed it would be for the best to stop them, so the whole fiasco was not just my doing. We just didn't expect the devastation, and the other fiancés have gone too far now. I am not sorry about the wedding failing, but I am sorry for all the damage. So I need to end this. Now, before anyone gets hurt or killed."

"Very well child. I agree that your reasoning is sound. What assistance do you need from me?"

"I need you to persuade my father and Saotome-san to not pressure them into a wedding until they have both completed university or at least some sort of training that would allow them to understand how to run a dojo. It's not just about money – there are taxes, reports, advertising. They need the education or experience somewhere else if they are to succeed. I don't want them unprepared, or anyone interfering and exploiting them. I will not be letting my life be controlled by Father's need to preserve the dojo – I will thus never agree to do more than advise them when they need it."

Nodoka nodded. "I see. It is a valid argument, in our ever changing world. Do you want their word, I presume?"

"I want their world that they will leave the two alone. Ranma needs time to have a normal life."

"My son needs a normal life? Surely, his father has allowed him to experience it on their travels?"

Nabiki blanched and then turned very calm and cold. "Aunty, perhaps I need to tell you what really happened since you sent the two away. How long do we have?"

* * *

It was much later in the day, when afternoon had turned to evening that Nabiki had finished telling her companion about the abuse that Ranma had suffered at the hands of his father. "I didn't think that Ranma had been serious at first, but the way the panda treats him and the fact that he was surprised to learn you were alive told me that the way his father had treated him seemed to be normal to him. And what's worse, the old man is proud of it."

Nodoka had been silent for some time, her hand clutching the sword to her side. A few times, she had began sliding the weapon out of its sheath, but she always came back to her senses and slid it back in.

As Nabiki came to the end of her tale, the woman stood up gracefully and walked out of the room. Without turning, she said, "Nabiki-chan, if I may call you that. May I request that you stay for dinner, so that we may discuss the course of action that we will take?" Anticipating the girl's questions, she continued. "I believe that I can assist you in resolving the situation once and for all, and having someone in a position of authority, with connections such as mine would be useful, would it not? I suggest that we call the family lawyers first thing tomorrow morning and see how else they can help."

Nabiki stood up and murmured, "In that case, may I use your phone? Kasumi will worry, and I need to make sure that no one will look for us, until we are done."

The beautiful woman turned back to her new younger partner in possible crime with an uncharacteristic glee. "Perhaps, it is time to teach the others what law and real love can do when combined together. Are you coming, Nabiki?"

The rest would have no idea what hit them.

Even in Nerima.

AN: Hope you are liking this. Other characters will start appearing in the next few chapters :) Feel free to send me any questions that you have. Miran xx


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**AN:**Hello all. I know. I am a horrible person for not posting for so long. Life is hectic, my job is going through many many transitions and I m tired all the time. But I finally have a chapter for you, so enjoy.

**Note:** I do think that this is moving too fast, but Nabiki refused to renegotiate. Since I don't own her or any other characters, I had to do as she told me, or risk her taking me to court. Which none of us want.

It was almost two weeks later when Nabiki strolled into the Cat Cafe with Nodoka and two men in expensive suits in tow. Choosing an out of the way table, with room to spare, they sat themselves down and looked for a moment at the menu, waiting for any of the residents to notice their presence.

As was normal, Mousse came round their table to take their orders, and was surprised when Nabiki simply ordered tea for herself and Nodoka, and a plate of dumpling for the two gentlemen, rather than a full meal. Then as he brought the order for the table, the brunette looked him straight in the eye, pointed to the remaining seats at the table with one hand and simply said, "Get them here, now."

And everyone in Nerima knew that arguing with Tendo Nabiki could be costly.

The sometimes duck hurried into the kitchen, and, after a few words, got the Elder and Shampoo out from behind the cooker and into the seats that Nabiki assigned them. He stayed with them, just in case his presence was required. Thankfully, this being late morning on a school day, there were no other customers who were still ordering food, so Mousse had no reason to move away, instead preferring to pretend to be a show of force for his beloved – the Tendo woman was known as a scheming corrupter of all things good, and it made good sense to stay.

There was silence for a moment, as Nodoka finished her tea, and the others simply waited for her to finish. It took almost the whole cup before Shampoo could hold it in no longer.

"What does mother-in-law and mercenary girl want?"

The two women in question exchanged looks, before the older woman nodded. "Elder Kuh Lon, Xian Puu, please meet our family lawyers, Tokawa-san and Idemo-san."

The purple haired girl looked confused, while her much older grandmother squinted hard at them.

"If you think that you can get rid of the Kiss of Marriage so easily, you are wrong. Our laws are old and well respected, even here."

Nabiki smirked. "Actually, no. The Kisses can stay where they are – they have proven to be surprisingly useful. We are here to get back something of ours, based on these respected laws of yours." The disdain in her voice was quite clear. "Mousse, what happens in your culture, when an individual destroys the inheritance or property of another, with malicious intent."

The boy in the corner, who had been sure he had successfully escaped being noticed did a double take as all the eyes fixed on him, and he lost his usual command of Japanese. "Erm, well, i-if something like that happens, the owner of the damaged or destroyed things can extract punishment."

"And how is this punishment is determined?"

"W-well. That de-depends on the level of damage. If it is a single object, that does not have much worth, then they would need to procure another one or repay the original owner. And if it's home or an heirloom, one of magical or family importance, then the punishment can be enslavement, banishment or death. But they are typically decided by a legal representative of the tribe or person who suffered the damage."

Cologne's eyes widened, as she realised that they were aiming to do. "No! It does not apply to women, nor does it apply to your country! In any case, Akane and Shampoo are in competition, so any destruction as a result of that cannot be claimed within the laws. We will happily pay, but leave my granddaughter alone!"

She failed to see Nabiki's grin turn almost feral.

"Excellent. In that case, you will reimburse Akane for the damage to the dojo. Now, to more pressing matters. Xian Puu, heir to the Amazon tribe of China, I, as one of the heirs of the Tendo name address you. As the heir to the house that you had damaged so far as to make it unlivable, I demand that you restore your honour of destroying the property of two unmarried females, Kasumi and myself, by decapitation. Aunty, do you have anything to add?"

The redhaired woman nodded. "Yes, in fact I do. Shampoo, along with a number of other girls had come to my house for the purpose of stealing an heirloom of great value and importance, that has belonged to my family and my husband's branch of it for a long time, for herself, mistakenly believing that this would give her some sort of claim to my son. While she was unsuccessful in this, she did inflict the most damage to my house, to the point where I have been forced to rely on the kindness of others for a roof over my head. The house is in a prime location in Tokyo, and thus quite expensive to return to its original state and value. It is my belief, and that of my and Tendo-san's lawyers that by carrying this immoral activity, Xian Puu has tarnished her honour beyond repair, by both the laws of my and her people. As a result of this, and to spare her people the grief and despair of associating with a violent criminal, I believe that the only way to restore honour is for her to commit ritual suicide. The method may be chosen by the victim in this case."

Shampoo raised her eyes, and for the first time ever, Mousse saw real fear in them. Silently, she pointed to the Saotome blade. "My beloved's sword." She tried to say something more, but the air seemed to escape her lungs and she ducked her head.

Ranma's mother nodded and stood slowly, circling over to the purple haired teen, who suddenly began shaking. Nodoka looked at her sadly. "It pains me to do this child, but honour is honour, and you have tainted yours by disregarding not only Japanese laws, but your own as well. As a result, I must now end your life. I can promise you, however, that I will make it swift, child. There is no need to inflict needless agony and suffering on someone who recognises their mistake."

Shampoo didn't fight. She nodded, and looked at Mousse, communicating silently with him in a way they had not done since they had been children. "She wants us to go outside – it would dishonour all of us to allow her to be executed in a public place or on her family's property. Let us step into the back yard – it will be private and quiet, and she will not seek to escape."

The strange group filed out of the restaurant via the back door, Mousse only stopping for a moment to flip the sign to 'Closed'. If anyone noticed that he had tears in his eyes, they didn't mention it. He knew he could not fight this or defend the girl he loved, for it would cause too much pain to the rest of his family if he did something that caused the Elders to punish him as well.

Shampoo came to a rest in the middle of the courtyard that was at the back of their property. An overhand over the area would shield her shame from curious onlookers.

She stood tall and proud, unbound and eyes open, facing the woman who would end her life.

And then, Saotome Nodoka swung the family sword on its fatal trajectory.

**AN**: Dun dun DUN! So, who thinks that Shampoo deserves to get her head chopped off for her sins?


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**AN:** And we have another installment! I would like to mention that I don't like bloodshed, so you have probably noticed that no, no one dies. I have to admit, I m not too sure about the legal practices in Japan, so I went with what I felt Cologne and Nabiki would do, by threat if necessary. Feel free to comment if you disagree - the chapter won't change, but future ones will be more accurate :)

"Stop!"

Nodoka's swing came to an abrupt stop mere millimeters from the girl's skin. The girl's grandmother slammed into the taller woman, knocking her away from the girl.

"What are you doing! Without a trial, this is murder! Our laws cannot be applied in life or death situations in this country!"

"Actually, you are right, Elder. That is normally the case in any reasonable diplomatic relationship. One side accepts the views of the other as a show of respect in such circumstances, as long as there is no objectionable behavior on either side. The Japanese government would have been willing to overlook some minor fights and complaints, especially considering how many tourists all the various fights have been drawing to Nerima more than made up for the property damages to local buildings and businesses – they would have responded quite strongly to Shampoo's murder attempts and in our case, helped us take our cases through the courts. However, the rules in your case have been adjusted. At your own insistence, may I add."

Everyone looked around towards the new voice. One of the lawyers, Idemo-san, was leafing through a file he held in his hand. Seeing everyone bar Nabiki stare at him with surprise, as his lithe appearance didn't at all match the voice, he rolled his eyes. "I would like to illustrate the matter at hand, if you would all kindly concentrate. Ah, here it is. It is a copy of course, but I believe your signature is at the bottom, Elder, is it not?"

Mousse and Shampoo both looked over the old woman's shoulder at the piece of paper that had been handed to her and which she help and arms length, staring at it in horror. The others didn't move, already knowing what the paper said.

At first glance it was a simple application to open a business in the Nerima ward of Tokyo. However, attached to it, was a plea by the Elder Kuh Lon of the Amazon tribe to be granted permission to live out her and her family's lives by their own laws as long as they remained in Japan. The plea had been accepted, applied to all the residents of the Cafe, and applied its entirety. This included the legal system, unless someone was killed as a result of their actions. Though there were quite a few other stipulations, Mousse could clearly see that in essence, that was the gist of it. It certainly explained why their Elder forbade her granddaughter from ever attempting to kill any of her rivals and cautioned against excessively injuring anyone if it could be avoided.

"Grandmother, why you do this to Xian Puu?"

The old woman looked up at her granddaughter, tears glistening in the teen's eyes clearly visible. For the first time, the proud Amazon stood there defeated, more so than when she realised not ten minutes ago that her minutes were numbered and she would never marry her Airen. Mousse briefly wondered if that posture and facial expression was something the others saw often on him – betrayal of those one loved the most. Ranma aside, there was no one more precious to his love than the Elder and her own father, male that he was.

Cologne looked worn and tried to pogo to her heir, but Shampoo turned her face away from the caress, eyes shut. Cologne's arm fell to her side and she whispered: "Oh child. It was to ensure that you would be able to marry Ranma. Without this, you stood no chance."

She raised a hand to caress the cheek of her descendant, but Shampoo flinched away again, this time with more violence. Instead the girl looked at Ranma's mother. "Mother, Shampoo mean lady Saotome, Shampoo believe we have unfinished business." The eyes were steely, despite the tears, looked up with conviction. "Shampoo have honour to restore, I ask Lady Saotome does it for Tribe's sake."

Nodoka looked uncomfortable before looking over at Nabiki and nodding. Just then, an entirely new voice spoke up, and it belonged to a woman.

"Enough, child. There is no honour lost by you. You do your family and people proud by accepting that you have committed a wrong, even if it did take this extreme a method for you to realise it. Shall we adjourn to the comfort of the restaurant to discuss this situation further? Hopefully without a need for weapons"

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer with surprise, except Nabiki. She had invited the woman along and knew more or less what to expect, after their phone conversation.

Mousse was the first to regain composure and immediately bowed. "Elder Lu Fa? What are you doing in Japan?"

In the entry to the back yard stood a tall, beautiful woman, with tanned skin, deep green hair and the most beautiful smile. Her body was clad in much less revealing Chinese clothes than Shampoo wore but less lose than Cologne's, and she was a little taller than Nodoka.

"I had been invited to would seem, Nephew. It seems that there is a small legal matter to attend to, one that I must see to personally to avoid any problems for our kin. Would you come inside, so that we can discuss this like civilised people?"

She led the way back inside, and sat herself at the head of a long table, waiting for everyone else to shuffle over and take a seat. It was rather telling that the Amazons sat on one side, and the Japanese on the other, with Nabiki at the other end in the other seat of power. She smiled and happily took over the meeting.

"Now, I believe we have a small conundrum. Based on what I have been told by Miss Tendo and her lawyers, I believe that Shampoo has to both marry and kill one Saotome Ranma. And yes child, if you had married him, you would be obligated to kill him immediately after you had laid with him. There is no way around it – one necessitates the other. The tribe could not force him into a marriage without also committing the other act, or it would render it meaningless. You may have been allowed to keep from killing him till after you had conceived, but by then the law's reach would have been exhausted and you would have had to murder a husband. And I would rather not have you kill a Japanese citizen, in any form. The Chinese government don't need any more excuses to attack us."

She waited for the rest of the table to catch up with her thought process.

"Do we all agree that enforcing full Amazon law in this case is dangerous, and will result in too many tears and bloodshed?"

They all nodded.

"In that case, I propose a solution. By the power vested in me as the High Elder of the Combined Amazon clans, I will dissolve the Kisses of Death and Marriage, as well as the obligation to have the Tendo clan execute Shampoo. That would mean that the laws can stay in effect regarding other aspects of your lives, but with no danger of death to anyone else. Additionally, all three of you will lend yourself to repay the Tendo family for the damages that you have caused over the last year. You young ones will remain here and gain a proper education, before returning to the tribe. Shampoo, that means you can now drop that ridiculous affectation of yours and speak normally. In your free time you will rebuild the dojo and house. Is that satisfactory?"

The two teenagers nodded, slightly dumbstruck. The green haired woman turned to Cologne.

"Now, sister, for you. You have neglected your duties as the Elder of your village. You are to return as soon as Shampoo and Mousse are settled into their new lives here. You are also to repay all the money that you have embezzled from the Japanese government and our village via our business here. Part of it can be legally used to repaid the house – the rest is to be returned either via charitable donations or some other means. I do not care which."

Nabiki looked as surprised as the others at this latest proclamation, and the young woman determined that she really would need to speak to the Elder privately before she left.

"Now that everyone is in agreement and fully apprised of the situation, may I suggest that we take advantage of these wonderful gentlemen, who I believe are very well versed in law, to help us draw up the necessary paperwork, and head down to the Tendo home to get these all signed? I would be more than happy to be accepted at our word, but considering the damage that has been done and the strained relationships, I would surmise that the Tendo's would prefer to be reassured by a legal document?"

As Mousse, Cologne, Shampoo and Nodoka were advising the lawyers of the specifics, the green haired woman leaned over to Nabiki, whom she had been standing behind while supervising the process. "You didn't really think we were all like Cologne and didn't have a university education or common sense? I did study to be a financial adviser to help my village, you know. I like to be prepared."

And with a smile and a wink, High Elder Lu Fa breezed past her to put her seal on the now completed documents.

An: We come to solve this little conundrum for good, in the next chapter :) I m hoping to post soon, but I am rather overworked trainign the person whom my job is being outsourced too. Grr. Double Grr


	5. Chapter 4

Hello everyone. I am sorry, but the updating schedule is shot - I have quit my job today, and I am trying to figure my life out. Not a fun thing to do, but alas, I must. Editing this has cheered me up and infuriated. some characters didn't like their stories and demanded a through rework - and I hate posting things that aren't at a decent place in the reworking process before posting.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

That afternoon saw a very strange procession of people enter the Tendo dojo. Elder Lu Fa lead the group, talking animatedly with Saotome-san, Cologne immediately behind them looking rather afraid, something that was entirely uncharacteristic for the woman. Shampoo followed behind, appearing to be very lethargic, head hung, shuffling along. There were no visible tears on her face, but later, in the privacy of her own room, she knew that she would give herself the luxury to cry. Not only did she lose the possibility to be with a man that she knew she respected, if perhaps not loved, but there was also the sudden realisation that the two years that she had spent chasing Ranma had dulled her own sense of honour to become something malleable. Nodoka's demand for repayment of the damaged with her honour, and the realisation that in her quest for vengeance and a husband she had destroyed the property of someone like Kasumi, a woman who would be universally respected anywhere, was an eye opener. It also brought great shame to her, leading to a reassessment of her values. Perhaps her grandmother's influence, though not as lethally inclined as her own (but infinitely more devious and possibly dishonourable) had not been such a great thing.

The rear was brought up by Nabiki and Mousse, who despite having started to walk along in total silence, managed to strike up a conversation. The page-boy haired girl found that the almost blind martial artist had a very sharp mind – something that she already suspected – but also played a very convincing role in order to get what he wanted.

"It is a pity I suppose, that we will have to leave here soon. It would take us perhaps a week to pack and sell the shop, finish up the repairs at your dojo, and we would be on our way. I enjoyed learning your ways of life, but all good things must come to an end."

Nabiki did a double take. The fact that the Amazons would be likely to leave hadn't occurred to her as something that would happen in the near future. She had thought that they would stick around for a few more months, so that she could benefit from them financially – if they were around, Shampoo would still made doors in walls and Nabiki had been hoping to start a small repair business on the side. Unable to stop herself, she gasped. "You would be leaving that soon? Don't you want to stay?"

Mousse smiled. It was rare that anyone seemed concerned about anything he did, even in Japan. "Well yes. I suspect that Cologne is homesick, and Shampoo will see this turn of events as a dishonour and will try to get as far away as possible from here as soon as she can."

"And you?"

"I will go where they tell me to go. I am after all only a male." The voice carried well concealed bitterness.

Nabiki felt her cheeks heat up slightly, both at the embarrassment of forgetting that fact and due to the anger she felt. It didn't matter about a person's gender – if it didn't affect the person's honour, there was no reason that they would not be allowed to follow their dreams. Instead of voicing that, she said,

"I have been meaning to ask. Why did neither of your attend school? Did Cologne home school you?"

At this, Mousse, let out a bitter laugh. "I am a male, Tendo-san. Beyond being able to write and some basic maths and engineering, we are not expected to study at all. I have been lucky to have come from a good family and be a good fighter, because that meant that I was allowed to study Japanese and English even before we came here, and Cologne was expected to make sure that I maintained that. But I have no hope of ever attending a university or becoming anything other than a martial artist. Shampoo has that chance, but I am unsure if she will take it like Elder Lu Fa did once upon a time, or if she will simply return to follow Cologne's footsteps."

The bitterness in his voice was quite apparent now and Nabiki cringed. Even if her society meant that she had to sometimes enter into arranged marriages, it was at least expected that a woman be given a chance to pursue some level of her dreams through education. Even Kasumi, the perfect Nadeshiko, knew that once everyone was away from the house, she would be allowed and even encouraged to get a career, if for no other reason than to show her worth to a potential husband. Seeing another culture, especially one who claimed to be more fair than the society she lived in, treated anyone so, well, abusively, made her question her own morals. She resolved to have a word with Elder Lu Fa before the woman left, to ensure that Mousse at least was offered a chance to study. She was sure she could help him get into a decent university in Beijing or Shanghai to study something that he enjoyed, at little cost to herself, especially if she found a way to have him sponsored and have herself benefit from it in the future.

The procession came into the house and Nabiki and Nodoka took over the roles as hostesses, showing everyone to the table and seating them all around. Kasumi came in from the kitchen to see what was going on and lifted her hand to her face. "Oh my. So many guests, Aunty, Nabiki." The frown on her face stayed there for only a second before she smiled, the silent admonishment for not warning her earlier left unspoken. "Would everyone like some tea? I would offer you dinner, but we only have rice at the moment."

Lu Fa glared at her fellow elder, as the implication was clear, and looked down in shame. Nodoka saw the quick exchange with a level of immense satisfaction, and answered. "Tea would be fine, Kasumi. Husband, would you please stop hiding as a Panda and fetch Akane, Soun and Ranma, please? We have much to discuss and the day is getting on."

The panda sitting in the corner of the room thought about pretending to be just a panda for a moment, before eyeing the katana in the woman's hand, thinking better of it, and reaching for the kettle. A moment later, Saotome was running off to the dojo to grab his son and his fiancée, and drag them to the house if necessary.

Everyone was gathered in the dining room in short order, though Ranma and Akane sat very close to his mother, shooting glares of disapproval across the table. Kasumi sat on their other side, separating the teens from the other occupants of the room, proving them with two human barriers.

"What are you and that attempted murderer doing here, ghoul? And who the hell is the reinforcements?" Nabiki cringed as the boy negligently pointed at Lu Fa.

Shampoo looked as though she had been slapped. Her tears finally became visible as she realised with shock that the man she once called her airen told her of how he really saw her. Seeing that Cologne was liable to do something stupid in the defence of the great granddaughter she loved, Lu Fa spoke up. "You are one Saotome Ranma, of the Anything Goes Martial Arts school, who is afflicted with a Jusenkyo curse? Is that correct?"

The pigtailed boys' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's it to ya?"

Lu Fa stood and to everyone's surprise bowed, bending deeply at her waist. "I, as the Highest Elder of the Amazons of China would like to thank you for the hospitality that you have shown my people. A difficult situation has come to my attention and necessitated that I come here on behalf of the Elder council. We have decreed, as a Council, that one Saotome Ranma is to be released from both the Kisses of Marriage and Death, and as an apology for the distress they may have caused, we will provide financial reparations, as well as any reasonable other assistance that we may offer. To prove this, myself and a number of Japanese lawyers have drawn up documents to this effect."

She sat back down, and silence enveloped the table.

The Tendo patriarch was the first to regain any semblance of speech. He too stood and bowed. "I thank you Elder, for your words. Now, would anyone mind if someone explained what in the world is going on?"

Nabiki and Nodoka smiled, and launched into an explanation.

It was perhaps two hours later that the various occupants of the Tendo house had finished asking and answering questions to everyone's satisfaction, and Kasumi had invited everyone to stay for dinner. Cologne looked sheepish for a moment, before ordering Shampoo to buy some ingredients at the store and come back without creating any new doors in the house, before moving over to the kitchen to assist the oldest sister with the various preparations for a sizable meal. In the next hour and with the assistance of Shampoo's purchases, they managed to prepare a decent meal of rice, pickles and various Chinese meats.

Genma decided that it was best to make himself scarce, and the remaining people at the table turned to each other. Ranma and Akane both looked distrustfully at the remaining two amazons.

"So how do I know you are not going to go back on your word tomorrow? After all, Japanese law never meant much to Shampoo or even Cologne."

The woman smiled. "Yes, I find that my little sister tends to be very traditional with respect to this kind of thing."

Akane looked up with interest. "Sister? You and Shampoo are sisters?"

Everyone turned to look at Mousse, who had been unobtrusively sitting at the table, blending in with the decorations, as he suddenly broken into a cackle and then to stifle it took a gulp of tea. Unfortunately, the tea lodged in his throat and the cackle quickly became a gasping cough.

"No, Tendo-san. Cologne is my baby sister. She is a good 10 years younger than me."

***facefault***

Nabiki looked up from the floor, where she had collapsed to when she heard Lu Fa mention a familial relationship. "REALLY? Is that why I asked to speak to someone who would be able to keep Cologne in check you decided to come over yourself?"

Mousse had stopped coughing and was sitting up straight eyes twinkling merrily, waiting for the elder to answer. "Yes, that and the fact that I am her superior in the council. The council considered your petition and agreed that I needed to be present to reverse the kisses." Turning to Ranma, she continued. "As for how I can assure you that this would be upheld, we can point out a number of things. Firstly, as far as we know, Shampoo never formally challenged you for your hand in marriage, so you were never her husband to begin with, nor was she supposed to claim that. And in any case, even if she were to marry you, she would need to immediately kill you – one kiss does not grand exception to another. It would have meant that as a husband killer, Shampoo would have not been allowed to continue living with us – and I will be explaining a significant portion of this to her later today. She is already deeply ashamed of how she acted, and would simply ask to be considered a friend in future, I beleive."

Akane and Soun looked concerned, while Ranma appeared to be impassive.

"How do I know this isn't some story you concocted to lull me into a false sense of security?"

Mousse jumped up, angry, before his Elder waved him down. "Sensible question. I am quite proud of you asking me. For one, it is now set out in Japanese law – and we will all sign the paperwork after dinner. And, I have enough honour to ensure that this would never be broken. On top of this, we cannot just risk a political confrontation with both your government and the Chinese government. Usually, the Kiss of Marriage only applies to men who are of age anyway – and for your country, this is at least three years away. No matter what, Shampoo won't be able to marry you without risking repercussions." She paused. "And in any case, we think that angering a God killer would not do us any service. We must survive, and to do so, we renounce any claims to you."

Ranma nodded, seemingly satisfied, and relaxed a tiny portion. The woman in front of him grinned suddenly. "Now, as the kisses are dissolved, there is the small matter of you eating Xian Pu's prize..."

She managed to keep a straight face as the young man's features contorted in fear, body positioning itself ready to run, while the rest of those present chuckled. "But, wha, why?"

Unable to help herself, Nabiki burst out laughing, which seemed to set everyone else off. The middle sister recovered first. "Actually, normally I would say that it is a good idea. However, Elder, Shampoo has an annoying habit of making holes in walls rather than use the doors, particularly in this house. That, and she, along with two other girls, almost completely destroyed the Saotome home not too long ago. I think the costs would at least balance out, if not exceed the value of the prize. The fact that Ranma turns into a girl and has been called a cross dresser more times than any of us can count, something that is insulting here, can go towards redeeming Shampoo's honour."

Lu Fa shook her head. "Typical. I tried to insist that my great grand niece get a proper education and be sent to Hong Kong to university – it benefited me greatly. However, my little sister has been very insistent that she not go yet. Now, she very nearly started a war between two contries. I do have the advantage of age, of course, but I do have several degrees in history and politics, and knowledge like that would be more valuable than knowing how to fight on a log. Great grand nephew, what in the world do you see in her?"

All eyes turned to Mousse, as he simply opened up his arms. "I just... do."

Nabiki's eyes, however, lit up at the mention of universities. "Elder, perhaps we can discuss a few things before dinner?" And stood to lead the woman to her room.

It was only another hour before food was served and everyone ate their fill, including the lawyers. Then, as had been anticipated, the whole group proceeded to sign the paperwork that had been prepared. As it was, all fear evaporated as Kasumi and Lu Fa acted as chief witnesses to the document.

Everyone, however, was surprised, and Shampoo more than a little put out when Lu Fa announced that Mousse was to be staying, and applying to a number of Japanese universities the next year. Cologne grumbled, but didn't resist her sister, unwilling to rock the boat or face more reprimands.

It was almost midnight when the rest of the group dispersed, some to bed, some back to the ramen store to begin the process of deciding what was to be done about Mousse and the Cat Cafe, though both the teens promised to be back the next day, early in the morning, to begin assisting with the rebuilding of the dojo and the improvements of the house.

Nabiki smiled.

One down, one neutralised and one befriended. At least five more to go.

It was several days before Nabiki was able to implement the next stage of her plan. While nothing insane happened in that time, she did have a rather unpleasant encounter with Ranma in the interim.

She had just come home from school, having finished one of her final exams, and sat down at her desk when an ominous presence entered her room. She swung around, her meagre martial arts training helping her crouch, mallet at the ready, when she came face to face with ...

"Ranma? What are you doing in my room?"

It didn't even occur to her to shout 'pervert' at him or do anything that Akane would normally do. The mallet clattered to her side, as she lost grip of it in her surprise.

"What's it going to cost me, Nabiki-san?" The boy no longer looked like his happy go lucky self – his battle aura, while barely visible, was visible none the less, and Nabiki knew instinctively that he was locked in the Soul of Ice.

Stunned for a minute at the hostile look in his eyes, Nabiki swallowed, but quickly regained her cool, confident that no matter how angry he was, he would not be causing her any significant bodily harm. "What IS going to cost you?"

He sighed and opened up his arms. "Whatever it is that you are doing. Getting rid of the Amazons can't have been cheap. So, what you going to do to us? Sell naked pictures? Get us to run errands for you? Blackmail us?"

For a moment, the middle Tendo felt pride – not only could he be taught, but he was referring to himself and her sister, and possibly the whole family as a single unit. Immediately, however, anger flared up in Nabiki's chest and she had to force herself to breathe deeply for a second. No matter what, she would not lash out.

"Did you ever consider, Saotome, that you are not the centre of the world? Or that I would do something for other than money?"

Ranma laughed bitterly. "Yeah right. You don't care about anyone other than yourself." He turned to look around her room, no doubt intent on pointing out the cameras and the things that she had bought for herself using said money.

There was no mistaking the venom in Nabiki's voice. "I care about Kasumi."

Immediately, Ranma spun around. Seeing the disgust directed at him for forgetting the oldest Tendo and the fact that Nabiki was the one he had always seen buying her things, the boy deflated. "I m sorry. I..."

"Forgot? Didn't realise that Kasumi needs to live as well? Kami, you are so selfish!" The righteous anger was flowing through her now.

Ranma didn't reply at first before saying, "I forgot that there are families where everyone looks out for each other, ya know? Rather than living on the go for eleven years or helping a relative catch a husband."

The anger didn't extinguish, but certainly lessened as Nabiki stared hard at him. It was no surprise, really, that the boy had no concept of how to behave normally, considering the only people who were remotely normal in his life were the Tendos and Dr Tofu, and even then they had their quirks, not to mention that the good doctor was currently on a sabbatical, and had been since before the Jusendo trip. Nabiki made a mental note to try to track the man down and have him come back – his professional handling of the young people of Nerima could come in handy. She sighed. "I m sorry. You didn't deserve that. Or rather, you no longer deserve that. There is little doubt that when you arrived you were as selfish as the panda, just as there is little doubt that you have changed a lot since coming here, and mostly for the better. To answer you, if I help you, you will get abused less often, and Kasumi and I can live in peace. Maybe she can even pursue the medical career she put on hold to help Daddy raise Akane and myself. Not that Daddy was much use. The fact that you gain something out of it is purely coincidental. If there was anything in there to benefit you, I would have charged you." She paused and grinned suddenly. "Of course, now that you have pointed out that you stand to benefit here, we should discuss now the Saotome clan can benefit me. Though I suspect that this conversation is best had with your mom. We can settle on you helping Shampoo and Mousse rebuilding the dojo." Her eyes did let him know that it was mostly a joke.

Ranma grinned. "Makes sense. Thanks, Nabs. I ll monitor them tomorrow, to make sure they aren't trying anything."

Nabiki looked after him closely for a moment, glad that the atmosphere was slightly lighter, and decided that a bit of truth could not hurt. "Ranma, do you want to know why I hardly ever charge you money, and never for the food and stay here? No charge?" Ranma shook his head. "Because, unlike that panda you call a father, you care. You help Kasumi and you help Father fix the house when it needs to be. That is more than most of the honourable martial artists in this town have done. I may not like you, but you are a good person. Run along now, before I change my mind about free information."

She listened to the young man running down the stair before reaching for the phone, shaking her head in exasperation. Her persona was still intact.

It was time to start the second part of the process.

**AN:** No idea when i will be posting next, but the next chapter will have us dealing with Ukyo. In my opinion, the one who can twist anything to make it about her, and also the only character with a father with a morality on par with Genma. Oh boy...


	6. Chapter 5

Yay! I managed another chapter, and the second part of the encounter with Ukyo is almost edited and will be posted shortly. I am still panicking, attempting to hand my job over to thin air, and freaking out that I am about to start a new one, but at least I am happier now :D Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

Ukyo stood in front of her restaurant's grill, prepping for opening in just a few short hours. She was absently cleaning the appliance, lost in a happy daydream, picturing herself married to Ranma and seeing them together, running their own restaurant in a prestigious part of Ginza, breathing a new life into the somewhat shunned okonomiyaki industry, mini-Ranma running around, helping his parents mix batter. The dream was only marred by the fact that Ranma had not spoken to her since the failed wedding several weeks prior.

Ukyo frowned. It was annoying, since Ranma-honey should have been ecstatic to NOT be getting married to Akane, especially as it was a case of blackmail. She understood that he was angry with her, since he had lost a chance of having the cure, that had been delivered, and understanding his frustration meant that she would accept responsibility and let him come back when he felt more comfortable in her presence. She had some inkling in the back of her mind that she may not have behaved well – but the fact that she knew the wedding to be a result of blackmail on Tendo Soun's part just reinforced her opinion in the righteousness of her actions.

As she continued preparing for the day, wiping down surfaces, the bell above her door chimed, signifying that she had a customer.

Ukyo turned around, surprised. She was sure that the door still displayed the 'Closed' sign, and turned around to ask the customer to leave.

Instead, her spatula dropped to the floor, the only sound in the shop.

"Father?"

The man who stood in her doorway was clearly her father, the man she had not seen in well over 6 years, the last time she had stopped by on the travels to track down Ranma. He looked much the same as he had in the past, with only his hair peppered grey, and a weariness around his shoulders. He nodded at her in greeting, something that he had not deigned to do last time.

"Son."

Ukyo flinched almost imperceptibly. It was disappointing to know that he father still insisted on referring to her as a male, but she pinned a smile to her face, determined suddenly to get on his good side.

"What are you doing here, Father? Is your new wife well?"

The man nodded, before sitting down on a stool. "Your new mother is well, child, although and she is pregnant. However, we are both getting on in years, so the doctors have told me to prepare for the worst, unfortunately. I may not have another chance, you see. We are getting on in years, and you are my only legacy at the moment. As for why I am here, am I not allowed to see my only child? Not a bad business by the way. Needs a bit more polish, and you could make a half decent restaurant of this place."

This time the flinch was more pronounced, for Ukyo had been proud of the investment into the little place. There were well over 40 seats, which were full most days, and she made a decent enough living that she could afford to have refurbished the place while the others were at Jusendo. It certainly was a far shout from the cart they used to own. It didn't help that her step-mother was so casually called her new one – as though Ukyo could ever love the woman the same way she had cared for her own parent so long ago.

"It serves me well father. But may I ask if there is a specific reason that you have come to visit me? I was sure you would be with your wife at this time that is so difficult for her."

Her father sighed. "I have had a request from a lawyer," he fumbled with a piece of paper that he had drawn out of his pocket, "an Idemo-san. He said that he represents a Tendo family, and asked I meet with him and you here today, at this time. I could hardly refuse after his hint at legal summons and the fact that he paid for a return ticket here. I even got to ride a bullet train."

Ukyo felt her blood pressure and anger spike and slammed her hand down onto the grill. "How dare she! To take away my Ranma-honey using the law is inexcusable!"

She saw her father blink in surprise, most likely at the name, before he opened his mouth, ready with a question.

At that moment, the door bell rung again.

Nabiki leading the procession into her restaurant did not surprise her – after all, her father words a minute ago meant that she had been expecting her. It would always be either herself or Kasumi, their father being too weak for this kind of move. And Kasumi coming was unlikely, as she probably would have had no need for lawyers. For a moment, Ukyo sent out a silent prayer that the eldest Tendo sister had never asked her to give up, since it appeared that no one except Genma could withstand a request from her.

The two men that she did not recognise were easy to interpret as well - they were most likely the lawyer and an assistant, and incited a glare and a low growl out of the chef.

The last person was a surprise. "Nodoka-san?" The surprise passed in under a second, however, as Ukyo's brain went to the only possible reason for it – Ranma's mother was there to placate Nabiki and insist that her son was to marry her, Ukyo, the cute fiancée, and get rid of Akane.

Ukyo's father stood up. "Which one of you is Idemo-san and Tendo-san?" He pointedly looked at the men, ignoring both Nabiki and Nodoka.

Nabiki grinned, stepping in front of the lawyers and directly into the elder Kuonji's line of sight. "I am Tendo Nabiki, and I have asked Idemo-san to arrange this meeting. May I introduce Saotome-san, and her lawyer Takawa-san?" She indicated all the people with her hands and smirked up at the man, waiting for his reaction.

The look of disgust was palatable on Kuonji-san's face. "You are women. What could you possibly have to talk to me about?"

Ukyo saw Nodoka's hand go to the hilt of the family sword, ready draw it and defend her honour. Thankfully, Nabiki was faster.

"Probably because Lady Saotome is the head of a very influential samurai family, and as such, is your superior. Considering how much your family has made out of honour, I suspect that you subscribe to Bushido, and will have to listen to anything presented by your senior. Baring that, there are legal matters to consider, so unless you want a lawsuit on your hands, you will listen to what we have to say." The voice was cold, and everyone else, except the lawyers, flinched. It was clear that Nabiki was scarier than any blade. She turned to Ukyo. "Since this is your restaurant, would you prefer us standing us we discuss it, or should we sit down?"

The chef was surprised – she had not expected for her opinion to be asked. Her father didn't, and the little show of respect make the girl a little less hostile. The pointed to a table, and Nabiki immediately moved to it, not waiting for the others to follow.

They all filed around a table that Ukyo had pointed out, her father at one end, Nodoka at the other. They glared at each other, before the man spoke. "So, what is this matter that you called me here for? Is it to declare a blood feud? Maybe to tell that as a simple tradesman, you will not honour any of your kinsman's promises?"

Surprised by the quick response that led in the right direction, Nodoka smiled. "Actually, it does concern families and their honour. Tell me Kuonji-san, do you remember a large man, a martial artist, that you had met a little more than a decade ago?" She waited for a nod. "It may surprise you to learn that that was my husband. He belongs to a smaller branch of my clan – we were married to bring the two sides of the family closer. However, due to my father's wishes, as well as those of the rest of the family, I am to become the head of the family, as I come from the more senior branch, and my husband has besmirched the good name of Saotome more times than one can count."

The woman sighed, and absently put her sword onto the table, Ukyo and her father instinctively flinching. "I have not seen my husband for many years, but recently I have been reunited with him and our child. I have come to understand that he has wronged you greatly in that one meeting, and stole your family yatai, while abandoning your only child by the side of the road for you to find days later. Am I correct?"

Kuonji-san nodded once again. "Lady Saotome, I am afraid that your husband has indeed behaved in such a way, unsuitable for a samurai. The only way to restore your family's honour is to have your son wed my daughter, or to allow my child to extract the revenge we both desire. Nothing less would satisfy the need for balance."

Nodoka pursued her lips in displeasure at the thought. "Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you whole heartedly. However, in this case, marriage is simply impossible. Honour dictates that he marries the daughter of another samurai. Before you object," she continued, ignoring the looks of indignation from both father and daughter, her hand up in the air, "they have been promised to each other since birth, so any claim she had supersedes yours. If my son does not marry a Tendo, he will be encouraged to commit seppuku. I realise that the government typically frowns on the practice – but the one way in which my husband succeeded was in instilling the need to take punishments. If the Tendo agreement was not fulfilled, Ranma would not marry your daughter, as his own honour will lead him to either commit the ritual suicide or be declared ronin. I am sure that you would not want your daughter to marry a man with no family." She ignored the agreeing nod from the father, or the gasp of horror from the daughter. "However, I recognise that this is a severe blow to your family's honour, no matter what occurs. As a result, I propose to settle this in the ways that are encouraged by the law of the land. The marriage would not be enforceable if the yatai had not been taken as collateral. As with any deal, if a debt cannot be fulfilled, the collateral must be returned. I am aware that my husband had sold the yatai, but the I have taken the liberty of having a financial assessment of the cart drawn up. It should put a decent value that I would be happy to cover within a month, provided you agree."

Tadawa-san reached into his briefcase and extracted a number of papers, which he passed over to the chefs. The two both leaned over the paperwork, eyes alert for any swindling – they were, after all, dealing with the Saotomes, and at least Ukyo knew that Nabiki was to never be trusted unless it came to her oldest sister.

Imagine their surprise when they found that the value was more than adequately represented. The cart's worth was clearly adjusted for what reasonable, consistent trade would have been like, and did not include any unreasonable deductions, mostly referencing upkeep. Impressively, the contribution of a known family name in the business was accounted for and deflation, so frequently included in the estimations of Japanese businesses, was excluded.

As a result, the final figure was at least double what Kuonji-san would have demanded for the cart, if not more. The papers also were notarised, and there was a provision that the value could be disputed provided sufficient evidence could be provided to increase the valuation of the yatai. Not that any such proof was possible – any court would probably rule to reduce the pay out, not increase it.

The two shocked faces looked back up at the women at the table and their lawyers. Two voices responded immediately.

"This seems reasonable. Shall we sign now?"

"Never!"

Ukyo immediately shrunk back from her father's glare that he threw at her following her outburst. "You, be quiet! You decided you wanted to marry him rather than kill him, and now, as your elder, I have decided that the honour is satisfied in this way. As soon as we can finish up here, you can pack up your shop and come back home. While the boy and his father may have questionable honour, this woman is a true samurai and is clearly beyond reproach. Your step-mother and I need you back home with us, so that you can marry someone in the business and continue the family line!"

Ukyo reeled back from her father's words, as though slapped.

"But, father, I love him."

The man shrugged. "Too bad. Now that you are released from your obligation, you can marry someone in the restaurant business and carry on our legacy. I ll even change you back to female on the family register. You have already proven that you are just here playing house, and have brought no value to our family. Marriage will prove to be beneficial for you, and will at least make sure you do SOMETHIHG of worth for us."

Nodoka seemed pleased with this outwardly, though the way the girl was treated with obvious contempt and like a possession made her take stock of the situation for a moment. Regardless, for the moment she pushed on."As I had hoped you would. Now, there are just a few other matters to settle before this can be done. Nabiki, if you will."

The girl grinned, a dangerous smile that promised the two chefs a world of pain. She had come to the same conclusion that Nodoka had a few seconds earlier, and for a moment pitied "I am sure you will be distressed to find out that your child has been the cause of some property damage. Saotome-san will pay the cost of the yatai, as well as the interest, to the sum that is stated on that document, regardless, but if you accept to reimburse us for the damages, you will not need to face us in court for a criminal matter."

Kuonji-san looked angrily at his child. "What has HE done."

Idemo-san passed him a number of papers. "As you see, Ukyo had destroyed the Saotome family home, along with two other girls, while aiming to steal what she believed to be a family piece of jewellery. A birthright if you will, similar to the client is willing to overlook the fact that this was a case of criminal trespass, if the costs of the rebuilding are offset. Before you ask, one of the girls has already accepted responsibility for this action, is repaying a third of the damage, and will be considered a witness against Ukyo here if she denies responsibility."

The young chef sat there, horror etched upon her face. For so long the madness of Nerima had made it seem like almost everything was allowed. And now she was paying for forgetting that the world outside existed, and that its laws, as well as the non-martial arts society were much harsher than the rules that they imposed amongst themselves. She flinched visibly as her father spun around and grabbed her painfully by the upper arm. The hold was difficult to break out of, and for a moment Ukyo was truly scared of her sire.

"What is this? Why should I be paying for this? Why should I be held accountable for something this useless brat has done?" His hold forced Ukyo to double over the table, her face smushed against the surface.

Nodoka sighed. "Clearly, you only belief that the honour issue refers to you, and while you would force my family to take responsibility for the actions of another member, you will happily ignore your own family's lack of honour. We will easily win this in court, because there were plenty of other civilians and samurai families that witnessed the devastation. For that matter, Idemo-san, could you show him the second invoice."

The lawyer passed the paper in question over. Ukyo shut her eyes and waited for what was coming.

A second later, she was on the floor, her face stinging from where her father had slapped her.

"Why did you destroy some family's dojo and home? Have you no shame, child?"

Ukyo forced her eyes open, and looked at her father. The man was shaking, his face bright red and inflating. He looked ready to strike her again, and only the presence of the lawyers was restraining him. The girl shook as she responded. "She, Akane, she is Ranma's other fiancée. She was competition, and I wanted to prevent he wedding."

The man exploded and Ukyo rolled away narrowly avoiding a kick aimed at her side. "Prevent the wedding? You caused so much damage that a protected, historical building is now in danger of demolition! You decided that because someone took away your inheritance, you could destroy theirs? What you have done could be considered as attempted murder! You put lives in danger, you damaged the home of three unrelated people! I AM ASHAMED TO CALL YOU MY CHILD!"

He slammed his fist down, his eyes glowing with the anger and hatred behind them.

For a moment, Ukyo wanted to argue that Ran-chan was hers, that Akane was using this situation as an excuse to gain the upper hand in the fiancée wars, but something stopped her. Didn't she always say that Ranma owed her because he stole their livelihood, and despised people who had no regard for other people's property? And hadn't she become just what she had always hated? In this situation, if she had hope that her claim would succeed, she would have had to play the honour game to the letter. Instead, in the eyes of the same honour she owed the Tendo family for destroying their inheritance, meaning that her life was forfeit to them AND Ranma, since she had tried to steal his inheritance and destroyed the home he was to have. It was no business, but the value could hardly be less or the connection less meaningful.

In the end, it all came down to honour.

And honour dictated that Ranma marry Akane or died, just as his mother had said. There was no longer a second route.

Forcing the issue would not be helpful, since her own arguments would be used against her, and she no longer hated Ranma enough to have him die because she wanted to have the Tendo engagement rejected.

She stood up and bowed to her father instead. "Father, I have brought shame upon the family. I will submit to your judgement in this instance."

The man huffed, but was somewhat mollified. "In this instance! You will, as long as you are my child. You will return home with me, help me run the business and assist your stepmother. There will be no nonsense of education, and you will marry as soon as I find a man for you to marry, which you will do without complaint. Hopefully he will be happy to assist us in repaying the debt." He turned to the women. "I apologise for my earlier behaviour. I accept that we owe you the sum that you have presented us with. May I simply enquire if you would be happy to spread the repayment out over some time period, rather than in one go?"

Both Nodoka and Nabiki bristled at the suggestion – after all, the man had originally instructed his daughter to kill both Ranma and his father on sight, rather than discuss the more civilised approach, but thought better of it. It was safe to say that this man saw which was the wind was blowing, and that being an opportunistic bastard just like Genma, he went for the approach that would cause him the least problems. Courts had a way of taking away one's livelihoods in these situation, and apparently selling one's daughter for profit was one such livelihood for this man. They both noticed the distress on Ukyo's face at the mention of a forced engagement to someone else. Even though Nabiki personally thought that it served the girl right for what she had tried to do to Ranma, she had to agree that this was a cruel father.

An idea began to form, that could make an ally of this girl. Out of all the fiancées, Ukyo was the most normal, at least as normal as one can be when your own father threw you outside to restore honour when you were six years old, while he stayed at home, filed an insurance claim, and got fat and rich on a restaurant he bought with the insurance money. The girl could possibly recover, and become an asset, if the hands were played right, and right now, keeping the girl from her parent was a priority.

"Actually, with Saotome-san's permission, I may have a suggestion."

Everyone turned to Nabiki.

"Tendo-san, I am all ears."

The middle daughter inclined her head. "I believe that when I discussed it with both the gentlemen here, it could be arranged that the repayments are not as large as you would expect. Would Kuonji and Saotome clans be willing to have one of their debts netted off against the other? It would mean that there would be fewer transactions to make, and the amount of debt for your family would be less. The repayment would be less and they would be less urgent, as a large portion of the debt would be considered settled. And as Ukyo has a restaurant here, she and I can come to an agreement as to how she uses the profits of her business to pay us. We could become partners, for instance, which would satisfy the honour of both the Tendo and the Kuonji family, and allow us to recover the debt quicker. Ukyo has built up a good reputation here, and selling the restaurant will not fetch the same money that she would be able to earn from it in the next six months. Once the remainder of the debt can be settled with the sale of the restaurant, she can close and move back to assist you. It would be quicker than if she were to build a reputation elsewhere, and cost you less in interest."

Ukyo's dad stared at her. For one moment, he almost wanted to ask what the woman, no GIRL, knew about running a business, but her very accurate assessment of easing the financial burden on his family made more sense than he wanted to admit. Eventually, he nodded. "I accept, if Saotome-san and you are happy with it. You are more than welcome to pursue a business partnership with Ukyo. I only insist that once the debt is settled, she returns home immediately, to accept her role as heir and to redeem the honour she lost in my eyes, and under no circumstances is she to be exploited or married off, without my permission, to settle the debt."

"That sounds reasonable."

The two lawyers opened up their briefcases, and set out preparing the necessary documents – which was to say pulling out the copies they predicted they would be needed, and set about explaining the conditions to everyone.

As they were finishing the explanation of the rights to the two women, Ukyo quietly asked her father, "Do you really expecting me to marry someone whom I have never met?"

Her father scoffed. "Of course, that is how it is done. Your mother and I married because we had an arranged marriage, and we did alright until her death. Love is overrated, you have to think of your family first." He ignored her and turned to the two women. "Now, where do I sign and would either of you ladies mind if the first repayment was in about three months?"

When he left without a backward glance some twenty minutes later, behind him, he left a dejected child, who's only happiness in that moment stemmed from the fact that for the first time in 10 years she was about to be recognised by her own gender and that she had not been forced to commit seppuku.

**AN:** Thanks to Kou Shun'u for such lovely words :). I am glad someone out there considers this to be quality work. Remind me to thank my annoyingly detailed dreams for this plot bunny hehe.

Nath08 - you will have to wait and see ;) I will say this now - they have way too many issues to deal with before they can consider a meaningful relationship, though I think seeing Akane die clearly made Ranma grow up a lot faster...

Richard Riley - nothing is what it seems. There will be an omake explaining this.

And to everyone who is disturbed by Ukyo's dad. The man is a monster, but is clearly a lot better at hiding it than Genma ever was. Still, Genma kept his son alive and with him, and even if he sees him as a meal ticket, he tries to take the bare minimum of care of him. Ukyo's dad, however, essentially sold her, and then abandoned her by the side of the road when he didn't care to go looking for revenge himself. Makes him a lot worse than all the people who show up to deal with the damage to their own honour, don't you think?

One thing - Ukyo is a survivor, and she will be acting a bit OOC - this is her brain trying to make the best of a bad situation, but I apologise in advance.


	7. Chapter 6

Well, this is going better than expected. Thank you for the wonderful review. Let me just answer what I can.

Kou Shun'u - I am pretty sure that Nabiki would have expected this exact kind of argument. You in business/finance/economics/accounting by any chance? She would have considered operating profits and would have counted them in - she even added the good will, I m sure she didn't forget about revenue streams. The Ranma eating everything obviously is different - and no, probably not. She would argue that they were gifts or advertising, and Nodoka is offering so much more for the cart than anyone else would, it would be stupid of Ukyo's dad to delve into every penny when there are legal cases hanging over him.

Riniko22 - thank you for the spelling correction, I ll do that as soon as I figure out how... And Ukyo's dad, at least in my universe, is an opportunistic bastard, who will escape justice right now by claiming that Ukyo was kidnapped by Genma, and the girl was too ashamed to come home, so she followed them and made up a story about an engagement. I see this guy will only take actions that benefit him - such as accept a settlement that is least problematic to him, and will sell his daughter for a profit, and treat her as he sees fit in the interim.

Richard Ryley - completely right. Ukyo is so traumatised, she can't fight. Everything she has done is in order to be loved by her father, her only remaining relative. She is broken, and I will get her out, but for that she will need to break even more, I think. All in all, being indebted to Nabiki is the best possible situation for her now - Akane will have to trust her, Ranma will be free from her claim and they can work on being friends, Shampoo is a strong woman who is no longer out to kill every one. She would feel indebted, but she would also be surrounded by people who wouldn't want her to be abused or who could teach her how to become stronger.

*catches breath* On to the chapter!

**Chapter 6**

Nabiki was not at all surprised when, as she was about to leave the building and accompany Nodoka and the lawyers back to their offices, Ukyo pulled her to the side, having somewhat recovered from the shock of the earlier revelations. "What is the big idea, mercenary?"

Both girls could see the Ranma's mother look at them apprehensively, holding the door open for the middle Tendo to follow her. Nabiki disentangled herself from her new debtor's hands and went to the door. "My apologies Aunty, gentlemen, but Ukyo would like to discuss the business possibilities now, before opening time. I hope you don't mind if I don't accompany you to our next meeting. I trust that everything here has been resolved to all our satisfaction, and my presence is not necessary."

Ukyo, remembering her manners, made her excuses as well, doing her best to not look too angrily at Nabiki as she promised that they would only be discussing business, and as soon as the others were out of sight, dragged the middle Tendo into her restaurant by the scruff of the neck.

"What the hell are you playing at?"

Despite the fact that she was being practically strangled by a woman holding a very sharp object in her hands, Nabiki remained cool and composed as ever. Instead of being intimidated, she straightened her collar, and casually sat at the grill, hands resting together in front of her. She assessed Ukyo with a professional eyes, and spoke.

"Before you fly off the spatula, let me ask you a question. What does Ranma want in life more than anything?"

Ukyo paused for a second, allowing Nabiki to relocate the stool to be facing the confused girl. "He wants to spend his life with me of course, helping me run the restaurant! It's what he always wanted." The standing girl looked to the sitting one for confirmation, not realising that the second part of that had come out a lot more like a question than a statement. Nabiki smirked lightly, knowing that she had already won.

"Alright. Now, I am going to ask you to consider the impossible for a second. Imagine that that is not entirely what Ranma wants from his future." Expecting protestations, Nabiki cut the chef off with a raised hand. "Just imagine. Imagine that he works with you, and discovers that while it is nice, he may want to work in another industry. Or he might want to travel. He could decide to spend his time travelling up and down Japan without you, leaving you for months on end, to learn some new technique somewhere. Or, he decides to please his mother and have you give up work to be a proper, stay at home mother and wife. Would you agree with him? Would you become a Nadeshiko for his sake, with no hope of a career, spending all your time churning out dozens of children?"

For another moment Ukyo gaped at her, uncomprehendingly, before becoming white. "Of course not! These are my dreams! Why should I give them up completely? Sure, I would like to make him happy, and I d go travelling, but it would be his job to help me provide for the family. It would be ok if he taught in his dojo, but me not being a chef? How could you even suggest that?"

Nabiki was impressed for a moment that the girl had even considered that there could be some other aim in Ranma's life – the words were of someone who expected to be uprooted regularly. However, the idea of forcing herself didn't seem to ring the necessary bells yet.

"Then how could you even suggest Ranma give up his dreams?"

Still nothing. "He wants to be with me and maybe teach! He could do that at his dojo! I am not asking him to give up on any dreams! I am asking him to let me follow mine and have it work!"

Nabiki sighed, and leaned forward onto her hands. Help was needed, though she had appeared to have underestimated Ukyo – the girl had at least through of making sensible plans."You fail to see the obvious. If you were married to him, you would have to be added to his family scrolls. As a result you would be subject, not just to his will, but to that of his family, and not following their wishes would be dishonouring not only your name, but his as well. Now, we both know who leads the family and makes the decisions – his mother. She would probably see your various spatulas as 'not womanly' enough, and she would expect you, like a traditional woman, to give up your occupation and be a mother. I won't be surprised if, if you have a boy, he and Ranma leave home for training, and leave you behind, if his parents wish it so. And the other thing. Where do you suppose Ranma will find a dojo to own. They tend to be expensive to maintain, and heavily taxed. Do your family possess one?"

Ukyo was looking a bit green and unsteady, eyes glazing over. "But why would they do that to anyone?" She shook her head, trying to clear it, and fear entered into her eyes for the first time. To distract herself from it, she asked about the last point Nabiki made. "Does the heir of Anything Goes not inherit the dojo?"

Nabiki scoffed, frankly insulted by the idea. "Akane is the only one in our school who will get a dojo, since it was always going to be given to the heir of Anything Goes of the Tendo branch. Ranma has no claim to it, even if they are married. I am disappointed in you, Ukyo. The Saotomes never contributed a yen to the dojo, it's upkeep, the taxes, even the general maintenance. Moreover, it was my mother's so Father never had any say in what happened in it beyond teaching there." She saw another question and cut it off. "And no, I am not suggesting that this is the only reason that Ranma may want to marry Akane. I am simply pointing out that if he can't teach in a ready made dojo, you would have to sacrifice time, money, resources to build one with him, or expect him to travel, or expect him to be away from home in general, teaching at another dojo, potentially far from you. Most dojo's here are either private or have a long line of potential heir lined up – Ranma would likely have to go to a far away location to be able to do what he wants to, and it may not be viable for you to follow. And would you really be away to be a birthing machine, whose children were taken away almost as soon as they could walk?"

For the first time, it seemed like a fog was lifting from Ukyo's eyes. Horrified, she whimpered. "Did I really not see this?" For the second time in her existence, her life came crashing down around her. For the first time ever she considered what would happen if, when married, something went wrong with the marriage. She could see a cold and resentful Ranma, she could see herself resenting her husband and his family, and sitting on her own in an empty building, child and husband gone, with no one to talk to, just like she knew Nodoka had felt for years.

And Ukyo saw, clearly, why he never outwardly chose her. Not just because he didn't love her, and loved Akane instead, or the possibility of death if anyone's honour was compromised, but because he knew that he would grow to resent her, his only friend. Love here didn't matter – it really was a case of Ranma being an idiot. He simply wanted to protect everyone by not openly choosing.

And now, she realised that he was protecting one of the things that had been the most precious to him since the age of six – their friendship. He had never lied to her about caring about her, and he never meant to marry her.

Just so that she, his oldest friend, the one person he claimed to have always remembered, to have been special to him following the horrors of the road, could be free.

And she slid to the floor behind the counter, and wept.

It was perhaps 20 minutes later that Ukyo became aware of the world again. Konatsu could be heard in the back, cleaning and going through the ingredients for the day. With surprise, the girl noted that the soon-to-be graduate was still there, diligently sweeping the floor.

"What are you doing?" With astonishment, she noticed that she had spoken, and winced at her snappish tone.

Nabiki looked up, grinning. "What does it look like, Ukyo-chan? Cleaning, of course. Normally, I would get the help to do this, but your kunoichi already had his hands full prepping the ingredients and the batter, so I figured I could not overstrain myself by doing some sweeping. We need to get the store front ready for the opening in," she checked her watch, "just over an hour. You were indisposed, so I stayed back to help. I do have a personal interest in this place doing well, now, and we can't afford to lose any money. I hate waiting for debts to be repaid, especially such large ones, and any lost time is lost profits, and therefore lost interest. I doubt you want to be involved with me for longer than you have to."

This made more sense. Nabiki, even a kind one, could be counted upon to think of the profits first. The girl did look down kindly for a second."Do you feel better?"

The cook started nodding, then shook her head. "Not really. I ll probably get over it, because everything you have said makes sense, but right now I can't help but think you ruined my life."

Nabiki laughed – a real laugh that Ukyo was suddenly sure that very few people heard any more. "You are so obviously Ranma's best friend. Realising your mistakes, but not in their entirety. Making plans which are reasonable, but fail to account for everyone's feelings. Ukyo, really, don't you realise I saved you? And not just from heart break."

Ukyo looked stunned. "Saved me?"

"Obviously. Did you forget that you tried to kill my sister?" Seeing the girl about to protest her innocence, she waved at her. "Oh, I know you only wanted to scare her, but really? What were you expecting? If one of you maniacs had actually killed someone from my family, or one of the innocent, civilian, non-martial artist bystanders and guests, what would you have done? The police mostly ignore what happens here, but this would have been manslaughter or even murder, depending on the outcome. As it is, I have had to jump through hoops and get Daddy to refuse to press any of the more serious charges in your case, to make sure that you didn't have any attempted murder charges brought to you. How would you have fared in prison? Breaking out would have dishonoured you, staying in and fighting would have resulted in severe punishments and extension of your sentence, not to mention the possibility of death row."

Helplessly, Ukyo shrugged, feeling as though she was waking up from a very long dream, and was finally living in the real world. "You are right, not well. What do you want from me now?"

Nabiki laughed outright, seemingly pleased. "Two things. First, I believe that there is the small matter of proving to society that you are safe to be around. You probably noticed that your business has dropped significantly since the wedding. If I am involved in a business with you, some of the people who no longer visit will come back. And I really like making profit, and by extension insuring that it is being generated in the most efficient way. Second, what Ranma needs someone is a friend. Not Akane, not his mother – he needs a friend who will not pursue him, and will listen. I asked you what he wanted most in the world, and it's not wealth, or comfort or even recognition, and you recognised that much, at least. It is the ability to make his own choice, without death threats and pressure from a myriad of sources, all of which want to exploit him. Before you ask – chaos is bad for business, and particularly bad for my inheritance – you girls really did a number on the dojo. If you can find it in you to see him and apologise for what you did, and be nothing more than a friend, then at least he can hope to have a somewhat normal life, and a person he can trust without being afraid, or not opening up."

Ukyo thought it over. It was in line with what she knew of the Tendo, and her arguments made sense. Something, however, felt off – for one thing, Nabiki had never had a problem exploiting either Ranma or her own baby sister. "Be honest, you can't be doing this for Ranchan. Or does he and Akane mean this much to you?"

Nabiki grumbled under her breath, it sounding suspiciously as 'why do people keep asking me this'. Out loud, she only said, "I do care, Ukyo, despite what I act like. Akane is a bit spoilt, but you can't blame her or us entirely for that. Did you know that she is the one who was with Mother in the moment when she passed away? We came in to find her clothing her dead body, aged only a little over six. We coddled her as a result and maybe made her the way she is, but you have to agree, that is a lot of trauma for anyone to face – and you understand trauma, betrayal and upheaval better than anyone but Ranma. And while I care for her and Ranma's happiness, I worry about Kasumi and what would happen to her the most."

The chef's eyes flew wide open. "KASUMI? But, but she is lovely. No one would ever intentionally hurt her! Not even Kodachi!"

"Tell me, Ukyo, what do you think my sister's dreams are?" came from the middle Tendo with a sign, as she once again pulled a stool up and sat on it.

Knowing this to be a trick question, the chef carefully considered her answer. "I think that she wants a family of her own, to take care of, rather than caring for all of you all the time?"

Nabiki looked visibly impressed this time round. "That is probably a better answer than most people would give, and they know a lot more about my sister than you. Yes, Ka-chan wants a family, but she also wants a career. She is waiting for all of us to leave home, before she can start on the nursing courses she has been wanting to do ever since she graduated. An extra four years is a long time to put dreams on the back burner, would you not say?"

Ukyo nodded, before finally rising off the floor. All her life she had been convinced that she had been the only one wronged and thus deserved respect and revenge. As it happened, the Tendo family had not asked for the misfortunes that befell them, but bravely ploughed on, just like she had, when her father abandoned her by the side of the road aged six. She determined to made amends to Akane, staring the next day in school, and be the best friend she could be to both Ranchan and the bluette. After a second, plans suddenly started appearing in her head, letting her see a new life – one where she was accepted and had friends. She had overheard that Shampoo would be going to school soon as well, and knew the other rumour of her giving up on Ranma to be true now, so maybe there was a friendship to build there.

But not with Kodachi. The chef shivered – nothing could entice her into a friendship with that mad girl.

Plans whirling in her head, Ukyo grabbed the broom out of Nabiki's hands and twirled, ignoring the incredulous look on Nabiki's face. "Alright! I ll give Akane proper cooking lessons! Maybe between the two of us Kasumi can start school or at least cram school after the holiday is over! Now, Na-chan, yes, Na-chan, we are partners. Let me know your ideas on bringing money in. And don't tell me you don't know. You ALWAYS have an idea."

Leaving the stunned young woman sitting on the stool, Ukyo proceeded to turn into a cleaning whirlwind, while Nabiki resumed her earlier position at the grill and started to lay out the repayment and business plans for the coming months using some paper that Konatsu had graciously brought her. She thought that maybe she needed to work on getting the girl away from her father – the ease with which he decided to accept his loss and immediately talked of an engagement that sounded more like a cattle sale told her not of a good business man, but of someone who either lived in the past, or was a bastard (though not a conman) on part with the panda.

Ukyo, however, did not yet have such sad thoughts.

For the first time in almost twelve years her dreams would be allowed to change, and she was on the road to acceptance and belonging.

But she would be damned if Nabiki would ever find out.

AN: Yes, as mentioned, Ukyo is OOC, but her world is broken. And I think she needs to fixate on something. Repaying Nabiki and getting on her good side by helping Kasumi would be as good a target as any.


	8. Chapter 7

Oh wow. I am on a roll. Something about quitting work obviously helped! At the very least, I am a little less depressed.

Richard Ryley - definitely, and now she will be trying to make friends with the people that she was fighting a little while ago. But she has shown herself capable of being able to switch emotions off before - namely when Ranma called her cute, and she will do it again to survive. Keeping Nabiki happy lets her live her life with more freedom than before, since she can DO something about this honour problem.

The Keeper of Worlds - you and all Ryoga fans, look away in a few chapters. He will get a violent treatment, since I have a history of dealing with men who tried to take advantage of me, and in many ways, Ryoga is my way of dealing with them without having to beat anyone up. Depending on how repentant he is, he may get a good back story, however.

**Everyone, thank you so much for reviewing and liking!** If anyone here is on Tumblr, would you like the story to begin uploading there as well?

**Chapter 7**

Following Nabiki settling another debt in her own and the Saotome's favour, life at the Tendo dojo settled, for the first time since Ranma's arrival, into some sense of normality. In the weeks leading up to the school year end, the days would start of as any normal household would expect, provided they housed martial artists.

Ranma and his father would have a sparring session, which now tended to end with the panda knocked out or in the pond, while everyone else got ready. Then, Mousse and Shampoo would turn up, and they would all walk to school together, Nabiki and Mousse splitting off to go to the graduation class exams, which Mousse was surprisingly allowed to enter into with minimal prep. The conversation with Loofa (as Ranma tended to call her) went extremely well, with the Elder calling back to the village and letting them know that the boy would be staying to pursue education in Japan, and that Shampoo decided to at least try out a few weeks of school before going back, with the option of staying on for a year. Mousse would not be able to graduate with Nabiki – despite his intelligence, he had too many gaps in his history and the ward would not allow him to receive a diploma after only a few weeks, but he was planning to take extra classes and exams over spring break, and hoped to get good enough grades to join a late joining program at a smaller university come the final term before the summer holidays. If that failed, he was planning to study throughout summer break, and try to get in for September. If not airtight, his plan at least had some sense to it.

Shampoo had been placed into Akane, Ukyo and Ranma's class. For the first couple of days, Akane was distrustful and refused to speak to either ex-fiancée, but after Nabiki reassured her that the engagements were broken off for good, started to warm up to them. Ukyo publicly declared that she released Ranma from all obligations, and Shampoo approached Akane more privately, swearing on the honour and laws of her tribe that she was done for good. Regardless, Akane still hit Ranma every time that the girls touched him, and Shampoo at least looked on with worry at the behaviour, even if the threats were no longer directed at her. It resulted in her minimising contact with the pig-tailed youth, and the few times that she did need to touch him or be in his personal space, she took to informing both Akane and Ranma that she was about to do so. While it cut down on the beatings, since none of it was for nefarious or 'perverted' reasons, the bluette still tended to steam over each time. Ukyo hadn't noticed the difference, but since she was trying to be a friend, she only tended to go for casual touches that Akane simply wasn't able to see as much.

The one thing that forced Akane to trust Shampoo happened on the first day, when the Amazon had been attacked by the entire Hentai Horde, being led by Kuno. On that day the girl declared that all the men who defeated her would not only not be able to marry her, as she was temporarily one of them and the laws could not apply, but if they did defeat her and insisted on her honouring the marriage, they would first be sent to China to plough fields, as was suitable for useless males, learn to keep a house and had to give up their education immediately.

Unsurprisingly, that had not helped the first few days, as a few wishful thinkers didn't immediately clock on to the fact that the girl meant every word, and that she would not hold back in protecting herself. Shampoo was much more direct than Akane and Ranma had ever been. 17 hospitalisations later, the police arrived at the scene to find a large number of boys attacking a single girl in a uniform, the girl admirably defending herself. While before they had no evidence, and they had normally been persuaded by the Principal to accept monetary compensation to turning a blind eye, this time they were able to see the assaults in all their glory. Coupled with the fact that they were not just local cops, but came on an investigation from outside the ward headed by the ward's Chief of Police (a fact to which Nabiki pleaded total ignorance), whose ears Kuno senior always made sure the stories never reached – the man was impossible to bribe. Stopping by, they found Nabiki, and she explained the situation to them for a small fee of two thousand yen.

The boys that weren't hospitalised that day were immediately rounded up and taken to the police station in the custody of the Chief of Police himself, where Shampoo and Akane were given a legal recourse – charge all of the boys with assault. Akane took a lot of persuading, since she didn't want to appear weak, but Shampoo and Nabiki finally managed to persuade her that legal recourse was the path that martial artists should follow to protect other, weaker girls. Most of the boys, who had repeat offences, would be going away for several months while they awaited trial, and the ones who only part took in a few attacks would be let out with a large fine and a warning.

From the second week, the mornings were blissfully quiet, except for Kuno (who had not yet jumped into the fray that day, and on whom the police could get no concrete evidence), and it gave the women a chance to bond.

On the Monday of the third week, lunch found the rather strange new group sitting under a tree, waiting for Ukyo to feel them.

It was strange to see just how much the group dynamic had changed. Nabiki, who decided that this group was more fun than her usual lackeys, and who had promoted a trusted girl to take care of business for the time being, was lying in the grass, on her stomach, reading one of the textbooks for her final exams. While her place in University was secure, she wanted to make sure that the scholarship had no chance of running away from her, resulting in long hours of revision. A few meters away, Ukyo had gotten out her grill and was using it to sell to various students who had forgotten or didn't want their bentos.

Shampoo was sitting, or perhaps more aptly, swinging down from the not-quite blooming sakura, only her knees and feet holding her in place. She was chatting animatedly in almost perfect Japanese with Akane and Mousse about Japanese History. That in itself was a surprise. Once Shampoo joined their class, everyone quickly discovered that the silly act had been just that – an act. She had quickly overtaken the majority of the class in all subjects, except Japanese and, ironically, World history – the versions taught in her tribe were very far removed from reality. So much removed, that it was more mythology than history. However, she was top of the class in English after only a week, and drew with Yuka and Akane in almost every other subject. It was obvious that all the girls were jealous, but Akane tried to fight this. Instead, she offered to tutor her old rival in history if she gave her English lessons, bringing back the old sunny girl that Ranma had gotten to know before everything had gone to hell. The trade off seemed to be working.

Yuka and Sayuri, along with Ranma's two male friends had originally tried to give the others room, but were quickly made to feel welcome in the group, anchoring on their pre existing relationships. The girls were planning to come over to Ukyo's later to revise, and the guys were cramming for their exams, Hiroshi occasionally interjecting into Akane's conversation about history.

Ukyo smiled as she took in the scene, Ranma asleep against the tree trunk. Like Ranma, she was not too bothered about education beyond school. She just needed to graduate with decent grades and she would be taking over the family business, working on paying off Nabiki and the rest of the Tendos. Instead of feeling sad at the fact that everyone else seemed to have plans for their future that did not involve crippling debts, she spoke up, "Everyone, lunch is ready. Careful, its hot."

Nabiki scowled from her place on the ground, one eyebrow raised. "Don't go giving away our profits now, Ucchan."

It was so like Nabiki that everyone laughed. Ukyo grinned at her new business partner, a feeling of superiority washing over her. Time to impress. "Actually, I was thinking of what you said the other day, and this is not a free give-away. This is a taste test.

The middle Tendo looked up. "Taste test?"

"Uh huh. I am trying some new flavours and ingredients. I figured since we all eat lunch anyway, I may as well make use of the free group we have here and run new flavours by them. That way we can decide what doesn't work at all, and what we can try as a special with more customers."

Nabiki looked up impressed. "Sounds really good. Consider me impressed and more than a little relieved. What are the flavours?"

And with that, the strange group tucked in.

The end of this day would have been like any other, except two things were out of place. Kuno was standing in his usual morning position, facing the school, wielding the bokken. However, this time, it was not the usual wooden practice sword – instead, he held the sharp family blade that he had turned up to the wedding with, and he looked ready to use it.

The second change was one that everyone other than Kuno had clearly noticed. There were two police cars outside the gates from the morning, when the remnants of the Hentai Horde had been reminded that the police meant business this time and the 'challenge for a date' business had to stop. They may have also been hoping to finally be able to deal with the Kuno clan, but if asked later, they would claim that their presence at the event that took place was either coincidental, or they had simply been doing the rounds after the previous week's fiasco.

Clearly, Kuno was stupider than usual that day, as he clearly did not consider the police to be a problem of any sort to him.

"Vile sorcerer, prepare to meet your demise! Free the pigtailed goddess and Akane, as well as the rest of your harem from your clutches or prepare to face your doom!"

The entire group gained a collective sweatdrop and Ranma sighed. Kuno clearly took the three second pause as an invitation to continue.

"Are you too much of a coward Saotome? Prepare to meet your doom at the hand of one who seeks these ladies freedom!"

With those words the kendo poet charged directly towards the group, making straight for Ranma, sword raised. Out of the corner of her eye, Nabiki saw the police reach for the radio in one car, while the officers in the other vehicle got out and started walking briskly towards the impending fight. She grabbed Ranma's sleeve a millisecond before he bounded away, tugging and catching his attention.

"Let him cut you."

Ranma looked at her like she had gone mad – she just inclined her head in the direction of the patrol cars.

You could almost see the light bulb go on, though Nabiki could never be sure if it was because he had decided it was for buying her time to reach the police, or if she wanted to get the crazy guy arrested.

Nodding, the martial artist jumped to meet his opponent head on, both shouting insults at one another.

Akane, in the mean time, was seething. "That jerk! I can take care of Kuno myself!"

Ukyo shook her head, while unobtrusively blocking the girl's path with one of her spatulas. "I think you are missing the point. They aren't even really fighting for you in the strictest sense. Kuno just insulted his manhood and martial arts, integrity, motivation, and challenged him. Challenged Ranma directly, and not you. It would be dishonourable to intervene unless the fight poses a danger to us or some of the other students. I doubt that Ranma will let it come to that, but Kuno is too insane to see he is dangerous."

Akane looked at the others, and found that they were all nodding along. "Unless Kuno tries something really dangerous, there is little point of joining in the fray. It's Ranma, and he won't let himself be hurt..."

Mousse cut off as he stared at something that he never thought to see. The kendoist had just sliced into the pig tailed boy's shoulder. Blood spilled everywhere.

Several things happened at once.

Mousse and Shampoo both launched themselves towards the fight, intent on separating the two. Ukyo cracked her knuckles and prepared a spatula to knock the sword out of Kuno's hands at a distance. Nabiki broke into a dead run from her location half way around the school yard, intent on making it to the police in time.

Akane paused, unsure if she should gloat that Ranma was not invincible, but immediately discarded the notion. Kuno brought an illegal weapon to a fight, and Ranma had little occasion to defend against weapons like that. There was no loss of honour on his part, and now he was in further danger from the lunatic.

Her heart constricted, and she sprinted after the others.

And then, Kuno fell to the ground twitching, Ranma landing safely to his side, blood spilling freely from the wound.

Everything stopped, except Akane, who ran up to Ranma and proceeded to both scream at her fiancé and agonise over his wound. Mousse was already making his way over, pulling a first aid box out of his sleeves and helping Akane bandage the cut.

A police officer, who a moment before stood behind where Kuno fell, chose that moment to approach the group, weapon still raised. "Are you kids alright?" Everyone except Ranma and Akane nodded, and the man spoke into a walkie-talkie. "We have a situation at Furinkan school." The static that followed and was unintelligible to everyone expect the police, it seemed. "Negative, suspect was armed and attacked another civilian. We used a taser gun to bring him down. Request back up to have the man incarcerated. Alert the Chief that there are multiple witnesses."

Something was said back to him and the man thanked his colleague and came up to the teens. "Would you be willing to come to the station with us and give a statement? You will be given an option to press charges while there."

Everyone nodded. After all, this was the first chance that they had to get rid of Kuno for good.

**AN:** Next up - Kuno's eyes get opened by law enforcement. Now with poetic speech!

Let me know if you want the stories posted to my Tumblr, and I will. Asks and general interaction seem simpler there. :)


	9. Chapter 8

Hello! I have switched jobs, and other than being overwhelmed, I am very happy.

The Keeper of Worlds - Yes! Kuno is going down, see note at bottom. And I am past my issues and I have a wonderful husband-like person, I just think that that kind of betrayal needs a kicking first, therapy later - in any case, Ryoga is half responsible for this own troubles. No one forced him to snuggled up to Akane - that is taking advantage, plain and simple.

Diablo200030002002 - I am getting there. If they get a Happily ever after, they need to work for it :)

Richard Ryley - There is a reason, and it has more to do with emotions. I am going to wrap them all up, but I can't get Kodachi to work. Suggestions anyone?

Guest - Assault and witnesses and evidence in the shape of blood tends to do that…

**Chapter 8**

It was obvious that the Nerima's Wrecking Crew had managed to spread their influence all the way to the police station as poetic language spewed forth from within its doors. The Head of Nerima's police, and the Chief Officer tried to block out the racket as he reached for his water.

"Unhand me, vile peasant! You interfered in a match between a hero and a great villain! Let me go so that I may vanquish him hence forth. Look, he stands there, unbound, laughing at my predicament while you restrain me! Do you not see that the sorcerer's black magic is affecting you all? Release me, and I shall free you from his corrupting grasp! Free me, and the unholy influence that he exudes will be henceforth stopped by the fearsome warrior that you see before you!"

The head of the police station held his head in his hands, before taking another painkiller. There had been a reason as to why he had never gotten involved with the NWC, and this man was precisely one of them. However, this was a golden opportunity to take a mad man off the streets, one that he knew had gotten away with things before due to his financial influence, and he decided to stick it out, looking at the witness he thought would be the most reliable, before him. "I honestly thought that you were exaggerating, Tendo-san, but you appear to be correct. Kuno does not appear to have any remorse for his actions. So let me get this straight. This young man attacked your sister's fiancé because he believes that he is an evil wizard, who has corrupted the minds of the other girls that came with you, and thought that by killing him, he would free them?" Nabiki thought of saying something, decided against it, and soundlessly nodded. "How stupid is he?"

As Nabiki grinned and opened her mouth to reply, the man waved her away. "That was a rhetorical question. Now, I need you to sign your statement here, and once you are done, I need your opinion. You seem to know him well, and you have provided valuable insignts into the town in the past. That's the only reason I decided not to go after the Golden pair you know - they are only insane due to their obsession with ice skating, and your suggestion of isolating them to their school's rink has helped cut down on the madness with them. Last I heard, Asuza-san was actually undergoing therapy for her hoarding tendencies, and without a skating partner, the young man has not been out of his house or classes in well over three months, so I will trust your judgement again. How do I stop him from attacking my men?"

The middle sister reached for her pen, seemingly ignoring the question and reread through the statement before signing her name and reaching for her stamp to put her seal on the document. The man in charge visibly relaxed as soon as that had been done, and Nabiki had handed the statement back to him.

For a moment after, Nabiki sat there in silence, simply looking at the desk in front of her, her brain churning away at scenarios. She had to try to spin this in the way that would benefit her family, and herself, the most. Finally she looked up. "I can tell you the following for free, Officer. Probably the safest way is to use the method that used when I managed to get him to come quietly to you." The Chief winced. The young man had awakened from his tazering in the back of a police car, and only the fact that Nabiki had snapped out that he was going to be declared ronin for not following the police's orders had kept him from trying to break the car apart from the inside, or trying to incapacitate the men. Nabiki ignored that and continued. "Kuno, well, he comes from an old family and they are very set in their own, olden ways. Now, I told him the police force were the Emperor's men, and he would follow your word like gospel form how on. You can use that to your advantage."

Tendo's eyes went unfocused for a moment, as she tried to think of what to say next, and then a slow smile camde over her face. She raised first her eyes and then her face to the officer and focused on him.

"Now, that was the free advise. And for only three thousand yen, I can tell you what to say EXACTLY, to get Kuno to leave my family alone for ever, and to have him bundled off to prison where he belongs. A consultancy fee, nothing illegal, but you have said that I am an expert on the family…"

The Chief sighed and opened his desk draw to get his wallet.

It was a little while later that the head of the station marched into lock up and shouted with the most authority he could muster at his rambling prisoner: "Kuno Tatewaki, are you or are you not subject to the Emperor?"

The young man was so taken aback that he floundered for a second, closed his mouth and sat on the provided bunk while trying to understand why this man was so angry or had asked such an obvious question, even if it did have nothing to do with the issue at hand. However, he knew men of authority when he saw them. "Of course, my Lord. That is why I am so incensed that I have been locked up while a criminal walks! I beg that your free me so that I can show you the true villain. I am sure that you would be able to report to the Emperor that I have served him well."

The flowery language was making the Chief's head hurt again, but the officer pushed on, determined to end it once and for all.

"Have you not considered, that as a Samurai your job is to listen to the men of the law? We do enact the power on the Emperor's behalf."

Kuno looked confused. "But I had nought but the wish to assist you in apprehending the villain. I cannot phantom how a noble action such as the one I sought to undertake would be discouraged by the Emperor."

The chief didn't even have to feign exasperation. "And do you presume to know every design of the Emperor, child?"

Kuno bristled at the implication that he was a kid, but shook his head and his mind quickly twisted the sentence to fatherly concern from a mentor in crime fighting. "I had thought not. Had you perhaps considered that what you were about to do is considered illegal by the Emperor himself, on pain of death? What you had been about to commit is murder, and no matter the reason, our leader frowns upon it."

Kuno paled. "But, but, but he is a vile imprisoner of women!" However, the excuse sounded weak to his own ears.

The officer, seeing that there was hope to reason though to Tatewaki, unlocked the cell, slipped inside and sat down next to the rather confused kendoist. "It is alright, young one. I am disappointed in the way that you have acted but you are full of drive and have no experience of real worldly matters. Yes, you had been about to commit murder, and only the actions of your brave cohorts and my men had stopped you. I suggest you thank them when you do get out. Also, if you were so sure that young Saotome was a demon, why did you not seek assistance from a holy man, or make a petition to the Emperor for permission to slay him? Or do you think of yourself as above the Holy Men and the Living God?"

Kuno turned blotchy, as his skin tried to simultaneously drain itself of blood, and blushing in acute embarrassment. Seeing his chance, the man nodded sagely, and sighed. "Furthermore, I am guessing that no one has made you aware that this boy you call a sorcerer, Saotome Ranma, is actually your equal? He is a Samurai like you, and his honour prevents him from committing any crime that you have accused him off. Or the Emperor would not let him keep his title or his head, would he?"

Kuno was dumbstruck, but had to admit that the man spoke the truth. Who was he, after all, to question the wisdom of the man who led their glorious country every day. That fact had just been stressed a moment earlier, and in both cases he would have caused embarrassment to his Leader. Perhaps he had acted too rashly, without the guidance of greater Samurai than himself (though there were few of them). He would remedy the situation by listening and acknowledging the words of this great warrior who risked injury to save the Kuno clan from a great mistake. The face opened up, and became more alert and receptive.

Seeing that he was finally getting through to the boy, the officer relaxed and slung a fatherly arm around him. "Now, you are not entirely wrong in all your assumptions. Ranma is indeed associated with extremely powerful and dangerous magic. However, he is not the caster, but the subject of it. He is subject to a powerful curse, one that seeks to destroy him and plunge our land into darkness. You see, on his travels, intended to have him serve our Emperor better, the boy had angered some spirits who sought to weaken our country, and he was subjected to a horrific curse. It has two side effects. One is that he is chased by men who see him as evil, though women, judged too weak by the enemy, are unaffected by this and see him for the great protector that he is. The other is that, when he touches water, he is forced to undergo a hideous transformation, aimed at destroying him in a moment of weakness."

Kuno looked up, afraid. "What is this curse?" The answer, however, was starting to creep around the edges of his awareness, and the fear was becoming more and more apparent by the second.

The officer let out exaggerated sigh, and put his arm around the boy tighter to give him comfort. "I would rather not say, my boy. But since I can trust you, I will. Saotome-san turns into a fragile, powerless redheaded young woman, whom the enemy hopes to smite while in this form. He loses most of his strength and skill and has to rely on speed to defend himself. Turning this way is painful, as is the temporary reversal with hot water. And it gets worse. If Ranma is to be kissed by a man in this female cursed form, she will be locked in the form forever, dooming our nation, as his male part will become powerless to protect us all. Our enemies have been cunning in their appempts to conquer us, and the young man has been incredibly courageous and has shown great fortitude in withstanding the pain that the curse brings."

The officer had clearly been laying it on thick, thinking for a moment that Nabiki may have been overestimated the youth, and was thus surprised to see that the Kuno in lock up was tearing up. "Is it..." The man swallowed painfully and looked away.

The rest of the sentence was unnecessary. The officer feigned sorrow. "I am afraid it is, son. Please, remember it is not your fault, but the enchantment you were subjected to. You did not really fall in love with a man, and nor did you mean to kill or injure a hero. He has been trained for the service of the Emperor and thus has no equal, while the curse has affected many a man - I am sure that you have seen others pursue Saotome with single minded hatred, born out of trivial matters. They, too, were brindled by the side effects of the curse. Now that you are aware of the truth, I am sure that you will protect Ranma and Akane for the sake of our people. You must renounce them both, as Tendo-san is the only thing that keeps the spells under control. By some blessing, the engagement, made before either of their births, appears to lessen the strain on Saotome and free him of some of the pain. Akane-san is truly his intended, and their holy honourable pledge to each other is the only thing protecting our country. If they should be separated, all hope is lost."

Kuno started crying. It took a few minutes for him to calm down again. When he managed to compose himself, he looked up. "Kind Sir, I thank you for opening my eyes to the truth. I beg you, release me, and I will protect the noble warrior and his fiancée with my life! It is the least I can do to atone for my sins."

The man next to him shook his head sadly. "I am afraid I cannot do so, at least not immediately. If I release you without holding you, without a trial, their enemies would be able to guess what has transpired, and will attack, while he is still weak from the wounds you inflicted. I will have to keep you under guard – at least for a little time, until we deem it safe. There is also the issue that the Emperor is displeased with your destruction of the dojo. He would like you to stay with us, repay the Tendo family for the damage you caused during the wedding, and serve some time for endangering commoners, for the Ruler frowns on that. You understand why this is tactically beneficial, do you not? Since you are a Samurai, you must have a great depth of tactical knowledge."

Tatewaki looked displeased, but nodded, possibly to disguise that he did not, in fact, see the tactical advantage. The officer nodded in satisfaction, and stood up. "I am going to finish up some paperwork to push your case forward as much as I can, and hopefully you will no longer abuse my men while I consider what course of action is best?"

The boy mouthed no.

"Excellent. I thank you for your service to your country. Hopefully, you will be free soon. If it is ok, I will bring some documents for you to sign later - if you do, your case will go to court a lot quicker, and your freedom and ability to become a noble protector will come that much fast. I urge you to remember that others will attempt to claim that you must fight, but remember - they will be men affected by the curse and wish our country harm. "

And with that the police left Kuno alone to contemplate his revelations.

When the Chief Officer had come out to the waiting room, he found that the various witnesses/young people were sitting there, calmly reading magazines and newspapers. However, all of them were fighting grins.

"Alright, out with it. I know you were all listening in."

With that, the entirety of the room exploded with laughter. Shampoo and Akane were both leaning into each other, holding their stomachs, while Nabiki and Ukyo were holding onto Mousse, shaking. Ranma had already fallen onto the floor, and was sniggering from there.

The officer rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, but how else would you have him understand?"

Once the youths had managed to control their merriment, the Chief smiled. "It should be fine from here. I don't think I will be able to hold him for long with the familial connections, but I will make sure to at least press enough to get the cost of the dojo's repairs returned to you, Tendo-san. With any luck he will claim to be guilty and this can be quickly wrapped up." Akane smiled and nodded gratefully. "Hopefully, your lives will be quieter now. Now off with you, so I can finish this day with at least some dignity."

The teens rolled out, while the various police officers in the building sagged in relief. And made the decision to ask for a transfer somewhere. Like Okinawa.

**AN:** unsurprisingly, Kuno pleads guilty, fires his entire legal team because he thinks that they have no honour, and is presented to the court in only a few weeks. The Kuno clan tries to get him off on technicalities, but since the poor kid shows remorse and admits his actions, they only get one thing - in exchange for paying all the bills and helping rebuild the dojo (at full value, since lets be honest, Nabiki is shrewd), Tatewaki is allowed to avoid prison by going to a nice mental institution to treat his paranioa and delusions. The court never let on that they were going to do that anyway, just to spite the Kuno clan.


	10. Chapter 9

Welcome back to another exciting chapter! A secret gets revealed inadvertently.

Hi Keeper! *preens* Thank you :P I am happy with the way that turned out. And I do agree with the fact that Ryoga doesn't DO anything. But he abused Akane's trust in the worst possible way, and used Ranma's word against him, so he deserves to suffer. I don't believe he has Stockholm - the research on this is patchy and despite representation in popular media, only a few cases have been confirmed. It's more often emotional codependence of some sort. I d say he has more of something like PTSD or emotional deregulation. And yes. Nabiki would do the research. I think while she wants to remain angry she will avoid it, suspecting what she would find. I expect that someone else would be needed to get him into therapy. A doctor... (dun dun dun!)

Guest - neither do all criminals in real life get arrested. It's fiction - if you don't like it for this reason, I suggest you move to the crime fiction. There are dozens of excellent NCIS, CSI, etc stories I can recommend for realism.

Thank you Kayko. Now, ONWARDS! PS. I still need help with Kodachi...

**Chapter 9**

It was several days of blissful silence later that the girls decided to have a study session to prepare for some of their final exams and to have a sleep over, both to study longer, and to be able to get to know each other better. Shampoo said that it would allow them to find out more about each other away from Ranma and their families, and Ukyo's restaurant was chosen as the most neutral space - Konatsu was secretly delighted by the turn of events, and could always be counted on to stop things from escalating. Picking a nice quiet Saturday, where the girls would only have half a day of school, they made plans, determined to help each other study.

The decision was made with some secrecy until Nabiki sold the information to their father, and despite Soun's protests that the two girls and their various entourage were not to be trusted, Akane was ready to go straight from school to the okonomiyaki restaurant for their session, and study in the back of the shop after helping Ukyo with the majority of the dinner rush, and to carry on studying on Sunday.

That morning, Akane had a large overnight bag with her, on top of the usual school satchel, and she was studiously ignoring her father's fountain of tears.

Wishing Kasumi and everyone else a nice day (except Nabiki, who had had her last exam the day before and could simply sleep and whom she was still annoyed with), Akane walked out the door, unaccompanied by Ranma.

School went relatively well, as usual: Ranma fell asleep after managing to take at least some notes on his worst subjects, Akane and Shampoo good naturedly fought for the best answers in the classes, and Ukyo diligently tried to keep up with everyone else. Thankfully, the day was over, and the girls could finally get to the restaurant and do some studying.

"Greeting, Mistress, Tendo-san, Puu-san." Konatsu was inside, preparing the place to receive its customers. The two guests sighed in contentment at the polite greeting and gratefully handed their bags over to the insisting kunoichi.

Ukyo smiled in greeting at her waitress. "Thanks Konatsu! If you could finish up here with the cleaning, we will do the cooking and plating up. You can have the afternoon off, if you want, though I will need you for the evening rush."

The beautiful boy blushed and bowed. "Mistress, you are very kind. I have taken stock of the ingredients, we should be fine for everything. I will take my leave. Is there any errand that you wish me to preform for you?"

He moved away into the back after receiving a request from Ukyo to purchase some cleaning products, and towards his tiny room until he was ready to leave, while the cook and her guests dropped their bags in the staff area, behind the counter and out of sight of the customers. "How do we do this?" This came from the purple haired girl, who knew how restaurants were run, and needed a plan of attack.

Ukyo shrugged. "Normally, I just cook, and Konatsu takes orders, money and clears up. If I stay on the cooking, could you taken over the serving, Shampoo, and clearing? Akane, would you mind doing the orders, money and pulling up anything we are short from the fridge? We should be a bit more rested that way." Everyone nodded and got to work.

* * *

The lunch rush was not too bad, but by the end of three o'clock, when Konatsu returned from his trip and graciously offered to look after whatever stray customer wandered in so that the girls could study, Akane could barely stand. She was also quite angry. "How in the world can you keep going like that for hours? It's child labour!"

Ukyo laughed, "Honey, it's my life! And in any case, any job usually involves a lot of hard work. You do really well in school, and I can barely keep up with you, but I have been in a restaurant since before I could walk, so it's easy for me. I am sure that Shachan feels the same by now. It's difficult, but the end result of your labour is always rewarding."

Akane grumbled. "But it's so hard! All that time on your feet, and so little to show for it. And how do you deal with the guys trying to grab you?"

Shampoo frowned. "You are a martial artist – you learn to dodge without spilling any food. Much harder to do when its ramen, but a few burns and I learned. Aren't you used to it from the Hentai Horde and all the boys in your life?"

Akane blushed and got angry. "No! Why would I ever let a pervert touch me like that?"

The other two women started at each other, not really saying a word, for a moment, before smiling. Akane did not see the deep frown on each of their faces. Ukyo decided to break the cloud above the bluette's head first. "Let's get studying! You need to explain history to Shanchan and we could all do with some science and English practice. I need help with almost everything, but I should be ok with maths, so we can just test each other. How much you think we will be able to accomplish before dinner?"

* * *

Things didn't go to badly after that, now that minds were off men. The girls all coached each other in their respective strong and weak points, before Konatsu came to the back and advised that the customers were coming in on masse again, and he needed assistance. All three stood up with a sigh and reached for their various aprons.

The dinner rush was worse and lasted much longer than the lunch one had, and by closing time Akane could barely stand on her feet. The other two girls and Konatsu seemed fine, if she ignored the yawns that the girls were all sporting. Ukyo, seeing that no one was in any shape to continue working, made a suggestion. "How about we all go to bed and just wake up earlier than we planned? It's not like anything will go into our heads now."

The two others nodded at chef's suggestion, and picked up their bags to find the toothbrushes and changes of clothes.

Once all three had finished washing up and were together in Ucchan's furo, it was closer to eleven, and Akane could barely keep her eyes open.

Ukyo, sitting off in a corner with a cloth on her head, was revelling in the luxury of a bath, but was feeling pensive at the same time. She spoke, almost to herself.

"You know, I am glad that Ranma and I didn't work out."

The two girls in the tub both looked at Ukyo, with slightly incredulous looks. The chef blushed and waved a hand in front of her face. "What? I really think that our relationship would have failed in the long run! Nabiki mentioned a few things to me, and the more I think about it, the more I agree with her."

"What do you mean, Ukyo? Did she threaten you?" Shampoo looked concerned, and Akane too was looking worried.

The chef laughed. "Oh no, she opened my eyes to a few truths. Ranma has always been fiercely independent, and to be honest, considering that the first time I met him, I was trying to kill him, I really should not have been surprised we had never hit it off. I should have recognised the hand of friendship and left it at that. That way I could have had a loyal defender, instead of trying to get him to settle his debts another way."

"Oh yeah. You tried to kill him for abandoning you when we first met."

"Mm. The thing is, if I had recognised that at the time, we could have stayed friends and the panda would be a nice carpet somewhere. I am pretty sure that the engagement would never have happened, and we would have become as close as siblings. And Nabiki implied, and I now see that Ranma really only wants stability in his life and flexibility from the people around him to adapt to the madness that follows him. I had the flexibility, but wasn't so receptive to being a stable aspect of his life in the way that he wanted. That should have been something that I needed to have done, being his oldest friend and all. And he has an overinflated male ego. He would never have fit in within my restaurant, and I would have been unhappy if I was relying on him and he suddenly left for a trip. Or worse, I had to give it all up to be a stay at home wife. I would not have been able to deal with his claims to his superiority or answering to that thieving panda and Nodoka-san."

The girls all giggled, before Shampoo looked thoughtful and suddenly unhappy, before she spoke up. "Imagine how unhappy he would have been in the village! He would have had to choose between having a curse and enjoying high status and freedom, or getting a cure and staying at home and raising children. He would not have been allowed to have any special cases for him, if he close to become full time man. Either way, he would have been treated as little more than property, with no option to leave or be free." The purple haired girl blushed. "I was too focused on getting husband to come home with me, that I didn't consider that he had feelings. I was taught that men are nothing – I see that I was wrong. I needed to respect him as a martial artist AND as a human being if I was to make any progress. I failed, I did not see his pride or honour as important, and almost got myself killed. Neither of our systems work well – we need a fully fair system for both genders. Perhaps when I go back I can balance mine out..."

"Then you will have to educate the men to their rights in your village, and remind the women that just because they have power, they should not abuse it." Akane was saying sagely. Ukyo grinned and butted in, "Just make sure that they don't take it to the extreme – or you will have people malleting each other a la Akane." Seeing the angry look on the dark haired girl's face, Ukyo burst out laughing. "Oh, I m as guilty as you are of taking feminism a little too far, but the image of you beating up people because of the conditioned reaction to the Hentai Horde should drive the point home. For both genders. Even if they love each other."

It was Akane's turn to blush, and she submerged her face in the water up to her eyes. The other two girls giggled and patted her head good naturedly, waiting for her to come out of the depth of the furo.

Akane finally emerged and shook her head. "I am not sure that we would work, you know. He is just such a womaniser and a pervert! Using his female body to spy on people, being a student of Happosai, chasing after all of your girls! I don't love him and I don't think this engagement will ever work."

The two next to her stared at the youngest Tendo with a mixture of amusement and despair. The chef shook her head. Deciding to not tackle the whole love issue, she spread her arms in exasperation. "You do realise that out of all the boys that we have dealt with, Ranma has to be the LEAST perverted. He can't help his curse, and the number of times that the situation has forced him to use it kind of makes it more justifiable. The few times that he did something that can be considered perverted, he either had help from a consenting 'victim' or promptly fainted from shame. Ranchan has way too much honour to exploit anyone knowingly. I mean, what has he done that was inappropriate to you, in his girl form?"

For some reason, Akane almost exploded. "He lied to me! The first time we met, he pretended to be a girl! And then I walked into the bathroom to find a boy in the tub! Can you imagine how scared I was, and how embarrassed, to find a boy in my bathroom? After everything that had happened at school? And then I find out that I am engaged to a shape shifter who has at least three other fiancés!"

Shampoo blinked. "You do realise that pretty much all of those are his father's fault, don't you?"

Akane blinked back.

"The too too stupid panda sold and engaged him for food while keeping his son starved, he broke his word dozens of times, caused Ranma to acquire his curse and has done nothing but lie. To everyone. Ranma was probably scared to be sold off again or of how people would see his curse to be sensible. And you walked in on him?"

Akane blushed. "I thought that he was a girl."

The girls roared with laughter.

"Alright, alright! I didn't know. He should have said something."

"Do be reasonable. I had a lot more time to adjust, but I always felt uneasy telling people my status or story. Would you have told total strangers that you turned into a guy?"

"…"

"Did you knock before you went into the bathroom?"

"..."

"Oh dear, Acchan, what are we going to do with you? Answer me this. Has he ever tried to defeat you for a date or peep on you intentionally, like those freaks at the school?"

Akane was tempted to say yes, but considering Gosunkugi, Kuno and a lot of other guys, Ranma was almost a saint. The one time he did, she was in on it, and had a swim suit on. "You may be right. I don't think he did it on purpose. But he still trained with Happosai and he didn't discourage you chaisn gafter him. Makes him a womaniser at the very least."

Ukyo suddenly became very sombre when she remembered that they used to be engaged and stopped smiling. The reason that Nabiki had all but beaten in to her brain came straight to the top. Shampoo was in a similar position. "Acchan, you are an idiot. He tried to make sure that we didn't get hurt or abused, and to avoid our honour being tarnished."

The bluette cocked her head to the side, enquiring.

Shampoo sighed. Apparently Akane, despite being smart, completely missed the intricacies of the world, that Ranma had somehow managed to pick up on. A talk with Elder Lu Fa had helped readjust her understanding of some details of Japanese culture, and she had arrived at the same conclusion Ukyo had reached. "If I was thrown into a spring and turned into a cat for one failure, imagine what would have happened to me if I returned without a husband? Ranma probably thought that I would get killed – it would be worse in actual fact. I would have either have been made outcast or forced into some sort of servitude or slavery, and forbidden from ever having children, cast out form the rest of my family. That is what Grandmother had to undergo after she failed to marry Happosai – 15 years of working for the tribe, with no home, nothing, and she didn't even fail to enforce a kiss of death like I did. She was lucky that she was as strong as she was, or she would not have even found an Amazon male to marry."

"Right. And if my dad abandoned me and registered me as a boy until I killed or married Ranma, he probably would have struck me off the clan rolls for a failure. So Ranma probably kept up the ruse to ensure that neither of us suffered a fate that was not of our or his making. In any case, if he chose Akane, my best bet would have been to be a mistress - something you would not have stood for, Acchan. If he married me, he would have had to commit seppuku for dishonouring your family, so we would have lost in the end, no matter what."

Akane looked on horrified. "It really could have happened?" The other two nodded. "If not for your sister, we would still be doing the dance, since while Ranma had obligations, he could not make an honourable choice, and thus we would be free from punishment, and he would be free to live on. He did it for us as much as for his own ego."

Akane began to cry. "How, how could they? Don't they care?" There was little question as to whom she meant. Turning to the girls, she grabbed both by the arms. "No matter what, as long as we have a roof over our own heads, you are both welcome. It isn't YOUR faults that we live in such cruel societies or with such thoughtless people."

The three former rivals all looked at each other and nodded, moving into a lose hug. "Yes, you will be my Amazon sisters." "And you will be my family. My dad's not much of a dad anyway."

Eventually, they moved away from each other, leaning on the various sides of the furo.

Shampoo suddenly turned to Akane, bright red, and stuttering in a way that she had not done since she had revealed she could speak Japanese normally, uttered. "Why does Akane like Ryoga if she likes Ranma? Shampoo curious?"

Ukyo opened her eyes and lifted the towel off her eyes. "What are you talking like that for, honey?"

Shampoo blushed. "Shampoo speaks like this when shy? Would Akane answer, please?"

Akane looked surprised, especially considering the previous conversation. "Well, he just seems nice! He always pays me complements, is attentive, polite, never insults me, always brings me a souvenir, and is not too over bearing. He's a great friend."

"Even though he cut off your hair, damaged your house, and uses you?"

Akane frowned. "Well, he is a little silly with his rivalry to Ranma, and yes he cut off my hair and has destroyed the dojo with you girls," she looked stern for a second, while her companions tried to not look too guilty. "But he has never used me. He's probably the one I could trust the most."

"So you let him into your bed willingly? You no love Ranma?"

The change in Akane's demeanour was instantaneous as she exploded. "Who told you that, you little hussy? Me, let a guy into my bed? Do you think I am a pervert?" Ukyo had to jump up and tackle the girl, stopping her from malleting Shampoo to death. The purple haired girl looked stricken that some one whom she declared sister would be so dishonourable as to attempt to strike her only minutes later, but tried to hide it.

It took a minute for Ukyo to subdue Akane, using the girl's anger against her, and by then, two of them were out of the tub and on the cold floor. "Get off me, Ukyo! I need to make her pay for that!"

Ukyo sat on her torso instead. "Sorry, Acchan, I don't want you killing my friend. But Shamps, what made you say something like that?"

Shampoo looked over the edge of the furo, considering it to be safe. "Akane takes too too sneaky pig boy to bed with her, when he is her pet. He boasted about it a few times, saying that Ryoga get further with Akane than Ranma, since he has seen her naked. I doubt that it is true, pig-boy faints at the sight of skin, but he has used secret knowledge to tell us Akane's secrets before to beat Ranma."

"Pig boy?"

"Hai. Ryoga has Jusenkyo curse. Turns into a small black pig wearing a bandana when struck with cold water. Almost ate him once."

Suddenly, Akane threw her restrainer off her, and laughed. "No way is Ryoga P-chan. He probably knows that my pet hates Ranma and used it against him. Kami, he's never been to Jusenkyo until recently! It's ok Shampoo, you must just be confused. Though maybe he has overheard me playing with P-chan and used that knowledge?" Her eyes went hard. "I need to talk to him about eavesdropping."

But Shampoo looked very serious. "The first time I met him, he was a pig. I wanted to make him into some ramen broth, but the moment I dropped him in the pot, he changed. If Akane not believe me, ask Mousse or Cologne – they have seen it too."

Akane slowly looked at the Amazon. Something was tingling at her awareness. The necklace like the one the crazy skater fixed on P-chan appearing on Ryoga. Ryoga vanishing and P-chan appearing.

Ranma in her room as a boy, but with a kettle none the less.

The bastard had known.

"Shampoo. Swear to me. Swear you are not lying."

Shampoo nodded. "I swear on my mother's honour. The only reason that I never told you was because I was jealous, and after a dozen mishaps I was sure you knew and were using it to bate Ranma. Ukyo, are you ok?"

The chef was sitting there, behind Akane, stunned. Very quietly, she asked "Shamps, you sure?" The girl nodded, and tears immediately sprung to Ukyo's eyes. "No one will want me now. How could he?"

Akane lost both her incredulity and anger in that moment. "Ucchan, you ok?" The brunette shook her head.

"Anything I can do?"

"Help me make pork okonomiyaki?"

Akane did a double take. "Ucchan, what did he do?" A thought came to her. "Oh no. He stayed here as a pig, didn't he?"

The now crying girl nodded. "I kept him here a few times when I was either angry at you, or the weather was too bad to bring him over. He looked at me, and always got a nose bleed. I want to kill him. He violated me. I never knew. I never knew..."

Her own betrayal forgotten, Akane hugged her friend, and tried to control the sobs. "It's ok. Shampoo and I will never tell anyone, and if Ryoga tries anything, you have my word, he will end up in a pancake. But, promise me one thing?" Ukyo nodded. "Let Nabiki deal with him first. I can guarantee that she will be discreet and he will be in a lot of pain. Something tells me that Nabiki never knew, or she would have sold that information to you. Now, let's get you off this floor. Shampoo, can you pass the towels please? We have a Char Sui bun to plan."

**AN:** I don't think I need to tell you what will happen next. Anyone with plans for Kodachi, pls PM me. Riniko22, I promise to get back to you, give me a few more days to decide :)


	11. Chapter 10

Keeper of the Worlds - MWAHAHAHA. I know what you meant, I apologise for being pedantic, it is unfortunately my nature. I am not sure that the girls will be able to think rationally after the below, but I he WILL get help. It just may be a while before he is mentioned again after that. It could set off too many people, I don't think that they will be willing to listen to him now. They have other betrayals to deal with first.

Richard Riley - I agree that it is almost entirely about image and culture. Imagine the scandal that the 'pure' Tendo Akane has been letting a pig into her bed? People will accuse her of being a hypocrite and her reputation will be tarnished. I think we can trust the Tendos not to say anything (the whole family has too much to lose), as well as the Amazons, not that they can't benefit either. Saotomes should be fine as well, as Genma is more afraid of his wife, and there is no way for him to profit off the information - either way, he loses out. I don't think even he is desperate enough to have Kodachi for a daughter in law… Akane is the only one who needs to keep her mouth shut, since she could blurt out anything in anger.

Kitten Arina - I like your suggestion. I do have some ideas, and I am against calling the police for her, but brinding up her illegal activities, now THAT is interesting… And no, she does not do honour very well, so the only way to get rid of her is to make her disinterested or disgusted and repulsed. What do you think of forcing her to think she is insane by everyone action as if Onna-Ranma was male the WHOLE time? Let me know and thanks for the suggestion.

Spicarus - I think the below should answer it :)

New chapter! Onwards!

**Chapter 10**

It was not surprising that when Nabiki heard the truth about P-chan's condition, she hit the roof, and proceeded to do a very convincing imitation of Akane in a full rage. Everyone assumed that she was mad because the pervert was under her roof, potentially molesting her sister and depriving her of an income – no one was to know that she thought that the piglet was cute and let him into her room, sometimes even to watch her change.

She now knew the reason behind the small rivers of blood that came out of his nose those times.

No one needed to know that little titbit of information, so she got down to discussing a plan on how to out the pervert. Two pathways had to be thought out, and for both, the sisters enlisted Kasumi, since there was no danger of the eldest of having known that the pig was not a pig. The honour, good nature and honestly of Kasumi knew no bounds, and she would never have let him get away with it, so she was safe.

As it was, the eldest Tendo has not been a victim of the peeping pig, but the damage done to her sister's already fragile psyche was significant, and she advocated some restrained blood letting.

It would give all the sisters an opportunity to vent, and see who else was in on the deception. Baring Mousse, who already knew, it was likely to prove very lucrative.

They got to implement the plan four days later. Everyone was at breakfast, the day after the girls' final exams, ready for a couple of relaxing days before school finished that Friday for the summer. There would be classes, but most students would be making choices what final year classes to attend, so there was no expectation to learn anything.

Then, a little black pig waddled into the room.

It took every little bit of self restraint for Akane not to lash out at her 'pet'. Instead, she put on a smile, and scooped the little animal up. "P-chan! Where have you been? I have been so worried. Now, you be a good little boy and stay home for me, will you? Kasumi will look after you. I ll get back to you as soon as school is over, and you can have a little treat if you don't wander off!" Turning to her sister, she asked. "I m going to take P-chan up to my room. Can you let him sleep and get him some dinner if he gets hungry? He will need some rest and food, he looks so exhausted. I ll take care of him once I m home."

Kasumi walked over. "Oh my. He does look a little thin. Don't worry Akane, I will take good care of him." Taking the pig, she went into the kitchen, looking for some food and gently stroking a knife. P-chan visibly gulped. "Let's make you into food. Oh my, don't shake so, little one. I meant make you some food." The eldest Tendo did a little laugh. "I must be so tired that I am mixing up words. Ah, here are some vegetables. I ll take you upstairs and we can get you stuffed before your nap."

The little pig shivered. Something felt very, very wrong.

* * *

Contrary to his momentary assumptions, P-chan found that he was treated very well during his stay. Kasumi made sure that he had plenty to eat and drink and allowed him to stay in the living room on a nice cushion. In no time at all, Akane was back from school.

"Tadaima!" Something was strange. P-chan would have sworn that he heard five different voices instead of just the two he was expecting. A moment later, Akane came into the room, followed by Mousse, Ukyo, Shampoo and Ranma, dripping wet and female.

Kasumi came out of the kitchen and smiled. "Okaeri!" Would everyone like to stay for dinner? Ranma, there is still hot water in the tea pot, if you want it."

The redhead nodded and moved to the kitchen, while Akane smiled and responded to her older sibling, "Sure, onee-chan. We were planning to sit together and discuss the classes that we were going to be taking and see if we can help Mousse narrow down what university courses he wants to take."

Shampoo piped up. "I stopped by the restaurant and grandmother gave me some dim sum and fish to give you. It would help feed us all, yes?"

Kasumi looked worried. "You didn't have to, Shampoo."

The purple haired girl waved her off. "I wanted to. Kasumi has always been nice to everyone, so we wanted to give you something to ease your workload. Mousse, put your glasses back on and take this though to the kitchen."

The blind martial artist bowed and proceeded to follow the eldest sister into the kitchen to bring in the food, while the rest of the group sat around the table in the living room. Ranma and Mousse re-joined them a moment later, the former once again male, and everyone got the notes out of their bags.

Akane smiled. "So, what did everyone think of the introductory classes?" The group was quickly overtaken in chatter, Shampoo weighing the pros and cons of staying in Tokyo, or attending a school back in China, and Ukyo wanting to take up Nabiki on her advice and study Economics and continue with her Mathematics studies. Mousse was discussing the various classes he would have to take for each potential degree and university choice, and even Ranma was involved in an indepth discussion on the value of attending a university part time to study the medical side of sports practices to consider treating injuries on site at the dojo with proper medical accreditation with Kasumi when she popped in and out of the room at intervals.

It was almost an hour by the time dinner was served, and the whole group shifted around to make way for the fathers, Nodoka and Nabiki.

Then, just as the little piglet was on the very edge of blissful sleep, Shampoo saw the predetermined signal from Nabiki, picked up her cup of tea and almost negligently upended it over the hoofed creature.

And then, needless to say, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Part of Akane had been hoping that Shampoo had been wrong, or at least cursed or dreaming, since she doubted now that Shampoo would say something like this just to spite her. However, the moment the hot water hit the piglet, he weight on her lap increased dramatically and she knew.

Ryoga woke from his nap by being scalded with hot water. For a moment, that did not trigger a response from him, until he opened his eyes and found himself looking straight up at Akane. While in her lap. Uncovered except for a bandana.

"Bwee?"

He knew. And he knew that now, she knew too.

While the rest of the table was frozen in shock, Nabiki used the moment to take stock of the room. She already suspected that Mousse knew just like Shampoo, but he looked incensed, so he probably was under the same impressions as his love interest. Points to him for recognising a set up so quickly and having some honour. Nodoka and Kasumi, despite the latter knowing, both looked on in undisguised horror. Ranma, as she suspected, looked scared more than anything else - so he must have known, and had a reason for hiding it. Interesting.

But the surprise had been the fathers. Genma knowing and keeping this from them she could understand and even predict, but her own father, showing only minimal surprise at what had been revealed in front of his eyes? Had he no feelings for Akane, or his other daughters, to allow a man he KNEW to be masquerading as a pig to sleep in her bed and violate her trust?

Nabiki's blood boiled in hatred and disgust and she resolved to change her plans on the go.

The room chose that moment to explode. Akane jumped up as though burned, launching the naked boy out of her lap and hitting the table. Genma expertly moved to save some food off the crashing table as the pig boy crashed into it, seemingly unaware of the drama.

Ryoga, slightly disoriented from the fall jumped up, as the older women averted their eyes. His addled brain chose this moment to look for a guilty party, and deciding that he himself could not possibly be to blame, shouted "Ranma Saotome, prepare to DIE!" He rushed his stunned opponent, who was once again a girl, having had a glass of water upend all over him, only to be stopped by a spatula.

The boy blinked. "Ukyo? What are you doing."

The normally unshakable chef stood off to the side, the battle spatula baring the former pig's way. Her eyes were cast to the floor and she was trembling. "Let me at him, this is all his fault!"

Ukyo's eyes snapped up and the spatula dug into the boy's skin, leaving a single streak of blood. "His fault? Did he make you spy on me when I changed? Did he force you to violate me by listening to mine and other people's secrets? Did he manhandle you into climbing into Akane's bed and abusing her trust? You monster!" Shouting this, she lunged at him, the sharp edge of her weapon only missing him by millimetres and allowing her to cut a part of his hair.

"You don't understand! I am cursed because of him! He made me follow him to those springs and then pushed me in! I turn into a pig because of him and his fear of losing to me!"

Everyone stopped, Ranma looking very fearful as his involvement was becoming more and more obvious. Nabiki and Shampoo seemed to be the only ones holding their cool, though it was not that hard for the later, not having been wronged, as the brunette asked, "Oh, he did now, did he? And when was this?" The steely look in her eyes made Ranma gulp when she looked at him for a second, but Ryoga completely missed it when it was briefly directed at him.

Ryoga sensed a way to blame everything on Ranma and grinned, despite his situation, not realising that with that he was digging an even bigger hole for himself. "Right after he refused to wait for our duel! I followed him to China, and he what pretending to be chasing the stupid panda and knocked me into a spring as soon as I got there. They must have been waiting to ambush me! He claims that he was chasing the panda because of his curse, but I bet it was all staged! He's a dishonourable bastard, of course he did! Yeah! It's all Ranma's fault!" Ryoga forgot he has no clothes and punched the air in victory for finding the right person to blame. The shrieks of anger from the various women quickly had him bringing a pillow to cover himself, especially when Nodoka squeaked and her hand went to draw the sword out. "And now he has proven himself to be more dishonourable by telling you all after swearing an honour oath to never reveal my secret! Ranma prepare to die!"

Just as he was about to launch himself at the sometimes girl, whose eyes were as wide as saucers and who looked more than just panicked, he felt two blades at him throat. Mousse stood before him, one of his knives in hand, pressing to Adam's apple, and Ukyo, having recovered from the momentary shock of hearing that Ranma had indeed known, had her battle spatula against the jugular. Neither of them looked ready to let him off, and Ryoga knew that no matter how much force and damage he could normally take, a blade against his arteries was a different matter. One minute movement, and he would be bleeding out on the floor. He would never get a chance to tell Akane how he felt, or to get back to Akari. Ukyo could slow him, and the blind martial artist had insane aim when he knew where he was aiming - and feeling the warmth of Ryoga's body left him with no doubts that they would strike with deadly accuracy, since they only needed him to move to inflict the wounds.

Nabiki stepped around Shampoo, who was using her bonbori to keep Akane back for the time being, and stared straight into the eyes of the newly identified shape shifter, being careful not to look anywhere but his eyes. Her voice had the temperature of liquid nitrogen. "So let me get this straight, pork chop. You blamed Ranma for leaving a duel you forfeited by not showing up for it or asking for assistance to be led to the place, followed him to China on a whim, attempted to challenge him while he had JUST become cursed and that he probably didn't even realise you were there because he was TRAUMATISED, and then emotionally blackmailed him using his guilt for your curse into keeping a secret you used against him to take advantage of innocent women? All while trying to kill him for not having honour?" She had spent the whole time counting off on her fingers. Defending Ranma hurt, given the circumstances, but the following answer could at least mitigate the circumstances a little, if the pig boy was as stupid as she thought he was, and maybe place the blame majorly where it lay, and allow her to convince others of it.

"Yeah!"

Ryoga had never been a bright lightbulb.

Ukyo smiled, having caught on at least partially to Nabiki's phrasing and plan. "That's ok then. YOU!" She turned to Ranma, making sure to look angry, not that there was much difficulty. "You stay there, we will deal with you later. Now, P-chan, you should get what you deserve."

The pig boy's brain was filled with beautiful fantasies of Akane hugging and kissing him, while beating Ranma into the ground and burying his rival at long last. "What's that?"

He missed the ugly smiles all around him, until he heard the words coming out of the one mouth that he would never have expected. Kasumi had stepped up to him, a meat cleaver in hand, and put her free hand on his shoulders, keeping him in place. Her smile was kind and serene as she said, "We are going to neuter you, P-chan."

* * *

Needless to say, the girls didn't carry out the threat in its entirety – Ryoga's manhood was still largely intact by the time his beaten, unconscious body was thrown outside the Tendo dojo. However, in the mean time, Ukyo, Akane and, to the surprise of everyone, Nabiki, went to town on the boy, hitting him with various bits of furniture, while the middle sister punctuated her attacks with explanations of just how much repairs and moral damages were going to cost him. The graphic pictures of prison and the detailed explanation of damage he had done to his honour, unprompted by Ranma, as well as Akane's exclamations of her hatred for him, probably did more damage than the physical hits.

They had to hold Nodoka back from attacking the fathers, who by now were trying to reason with the women that there was no REAL harm done, as the family blade had come out at Ukyo's original suggestion. Shampoo and Kasumi stepped in to stop her form actually killing anyone by engaging the older woman in discussion on various legal ways to hurt the men involved. Shampoo, being one of the few women not wronged, didn't really move much except to hold a weapon for one of her new friends or trip Ryoga up when he tried to run away, the rest of the time spent in conversation with Kasumi and Nodoka, and sipping tea, the perfect picture of serenity. Kasumi also did not intervene, despite her earlier thread featuring the meat cleaver, choosing her look of disappointment and disapproval to do the trick, with the exception of one frying pan to the head to, as she claimed, stop the then flying boy from crashing into the dinner table.

Since it was Kasumi, everyone believed her.

The fathers had tried to make themselves scarce after Nodoka had been largely calmed down, but Mousse had, at a motion from Nabiki, been on the lookout for them, and pulled them back into the room with his flying weapons any time they tried to escape.

All in all, it was a normal evening in Nerima, and the neighbours of the Tendo dojo ignored the noise.

Once the dust settled and Shampoo decided that enough was enough and held the bluette back, stopping her from coming an act she could come to regret. Akane was the only person still attacking the boy's unconcious body, and the purple haired Amazon had to drag her back out of mallet reach. "Shampoo says stop! Won't let friend become a murderer. Nabiki has better ideas!" Thankfully, the Amazon was still significantly stronger than Akane, and eventually got the girl to calm down. "Mousse, find him a place to lie and come back, check for vitals and make sure he is still breathing. We will take him to the doctor later. Other business still to finish here."

The other men in the room, who were hoping that they would be forgotten, gulped visibly.

Nabiki stumbled into her seat next to Nodoka and glared at Ranma. "At least Ryoga answered one question for us. You can have a reprieve for the moment. DON'T leave." Then, she turned to her father and the panda, who was holding up a sign of 'I am just a cute panda'.

"How could you, you monsters?"

Silence.

Nabiki took in a breath. "How could you let your daughter be abused like that? Did you not want your child to be happy? She has been through enough at school, what with Kuno and the others attacking her. Yes, I helped generate money from it, and fuelled the fire, but I also spread rumours about what sort of man would be considered acceptable by you, and made sure to keep the fighting to a minimum. Not once was Akane attacked outside of school, and I managed to convince Kuno not to really try to defeat Akane until he graduated, so she was safe from any real attacks off the school grounds. What sort of a father are you, though? You abandoned all of us! What if we had been raped by that, that pig? Would you have thrown us out for that blemish to our honour or would you have forced one of us into a horrific marriage with someone who assaulted one of us?"

The man was so surprised to see Nabiki shouting at him that he forgot to cry or shout. "But daughter, I was sure it would be fine. It would simply make Ranma jealous and get them married quicker. Surely, you can see that this was all for the good of the family?"

Nabiki didn't bother to grace the man with an answer.

"I am disappointed in you, Tendo-san."

Those last words were barely audible and came from a girl who rarely spoke up, and who was known to be kind and forgiving, her dead bowed.

"Kasumi?" Soun Tendo looked like he had been slapped as she raised her eyes to look at her father.

"Please do not address me in such a familiar manner. One may mistake it for genuine love and concern, which you have demonstrated that you do not have." She took a breath, controlling herself. "I am devastated by our betrayal of your daughters. I am sure that if mother was alive, she would have taken us away from you, and not allowed such degrading behaviour to continue."

By now, she had everyone's attention, and apart from the middle sister, they were unsure of what would happen "I have come to a decision. Until today I was unsure of it, second guessing myself, but Nabiki and the situation today have convinced me that it is the right thing to do. I will be moving out as soon as Nabiki goes to University. I have been allowed into a nursing program, which I have been wanting to attend for three years now, and as part of it, I will be assisting an elderly lady with her care and will be living with her. I will not be a drain on your resources. I had hoped that this would not be necessary, but clearly, there is no need for honour to hold me to this home any longer, as you have shown, Tendo-san. I am moving out for my own safety. Now, please excuse me, I will go to get ready for me leaving. I will continue to look after the house on holidays and until I go, just as my mother has taught me, but other than that, I expect you to maintain the home on your own from now own until it comes into my and my sisters' possession on your death."

Kasumi stood up and breezed out, leaving her father and everyone else speechless. Nabiki scowled. "Well, this makes it easier for me then. I will make provisions for Akane to be fed at school and on weekends, but you are both to assume your share of the chores once Kasumi and I are gone. I will also be informing the police and child services of what happened here in the last few months, so your treatment of Akane will be closely monitored - if anything, like another wedding, is staged, she will be taken away from you, and you will have no heir. I will be leaving in two weeks to move to boarding house near university and will only come back during the holidays I am not working, mostly likely in the winter." She looked at her sister, and her expression softened. "I am sorry to be doing this, but you are welcome to visit me, Akane."

Soun looked like he was about to interrupt, but his daughter cut in before he could. "Spare us your wails. We put our good name and dreams on the line for you and Akane, and while she had the excuse of being a child and suffering from an impossible situation you did nothing about, you were supposed to look after us. You better figure out a way of getting money in, since I am only going to support Akane from now on. You can reopen the dojo or beg for all I care, but just so you know – the income you get from your ward representative job is only enough to pay the taxes and bills on the house, and only after I had made some arrangements – it leaves nothing to eat for a family of four, let alone two moochers. Have Genma get a job, or something, it's not fair that Aunty is the only one contributing anything to the house. We are done with you."

She pointedly looked at Genma, who was still a panda. "I don't even care for your excuses, monster. I would suggest you stay away from my sister though, and stop your scheming, or the families will NEVER be united, and you won't get your cushy retirement plan."

She turned to Ranma, still seething. "What's your excuse, pervert?"

The girl flinched at the tone and word used – she had rarely if ever heard it from Nabiki, but it was well deserved in this instance. She hung her head. "It was all I have."

"Explain." The tone was icy cold and told of insane self control, stopping her from lashing out the way she and the others had done earlier.

Ranma sighed, with what looked like tears suspiciously in his eyes. "I felt guilty. I mean, I had no idea the idiot would follow me to China when he has barely any other sense of direction and couldn't find a bathroom stall in the bathroom, and I have no recollection of pushing him in, but it's still my fault that he changes. And he turns into dinner! I at least stay human, and I didn't know about Shampoo and Mousse then. I couldn't not promise to protect his secret. It was all I could do."

Seeing her son pause, Nodoka spoke up as the others were about to lay into him. "I can understand that, son. It is a noble gesture. However, once you discovered that Hibiki was abusing the curse and your promise to him, why did you not speak up?"

Ranma shuddered. "Because I have no wish to be like the panda."

Nabiki and Ukyo immediately blanched, while Shampoo, Mousse and Nodoka all winced. Akane seemed oblivious to what he meant. "You jerk! You mean that you knew and honour was more important than telling me?"

Ranma hung her head. "Honour was the only thing that I have that is my own. My name has been dragged through the mud, my life belongs to the whim of my mother and I have only two things left. The Art, which I found out Happosai controls, and even it was taken from me, and my honour. It was my way of making up for everything. Plus, I even bent that for as much as I could and it hurt me. I tried to drop as many hints as I could without revealing the secret. I always knew that if he tried anything other than snuggle in with you, I would tell everyone, but this is Ryoga. He would never take further liberties with you than the ones you gave him freely." She looked directly at Nabiki. "And I know that is no excuse to how I acted, I know. But if I had known that your father knew, I would have approached him and demanded on his honour that he told you. I knew better than to approach Pop."

Nabiki shot Akane a warning glance. "I think I can understand your logic. You did not know that Tendo-san knew or that Hibiki had been approaching other girls, like Ukyo?"

Ranma's eyes went even wider. "What? He dragged others into this?"

Shampoo nodded. "Yes, Ukyo told us he had done the same with her as with Akane. Shampoo and Mousse apologise, we didn't realise no one else knew of his curse. I thought it was a ploy by Akane to make Ranma jealous. Too too many near misses and hints and transformation, and too many Jusenkyo cursed in Nerima for it not to be obvious."

"The bastard! I will go..."

"Stop, Saotome. I think if Ukyo and Akane can understand your position, since they are the ones directly affected, they will be in a position to not be as harsh on you. I leave you in their hands. Give them a few days to cool off and we can try to resolve this. Shampoo, I think your apology is accepted – I believe you, and Mousse had no reason to suspect otherwise either. Like you said, too many near misses. It's obvious in hindsight. Ranma, I think that I will forgive you in time as well. As for the moment, I believe that a suitable punishment would be... Actually, wait a moment. Would you have told us anything at all?"

Ranma blinked. "If the pig tried to molest any of you by using his form, or I had married Akane, I would have. There is only so far that I can stretch honour. If he took advantage of Akane, I would have told you all directly. If I had married her, she would have become an extension of me, and revealing Ryoga's curse would not have broken my promise, as long as she kept it as well. But as long as he was Akane's pet, she was protecting him from me, and my hands were tied."

Ukyo spoke up, knowing that Akane should not be allowed to talk in her state of anger. "Fine. You could not tell me and you didn't even know, but you still owe me. Nabichan, I have a suggestion. He works this off, in a way that will embarrass him. I can use a pack mule and an extra waitress or waiter. He can work free of charge until term starts again, on weekends after that until we feel like his guilt has been redeemed sufficiently. He is in debt to me, and I think that by boosting our profits, he can also start repairing the damage to your family name, since it benefits you as well. I am sure that Akane can devise something painful enough without it being excessively degrading. Using him as a cooking tester for a few months should do it. Nodoka-san, would you see to it that your son is sufficiently punished, and take care of your husband for us? I don't think any of us would have the clarity of mind to leave him alive for all his transgression to us. It's safe to say I would happily murder him right now for everything he has done to all of us, your son included."

The panda quickly rolled into a corner and pretended to pay with a tire.

Nodoka nodded. "Please rest assured that I will take care of this. Now, I think it is best if we go. Ranma, come on, let's remove you from the proximity to the ladies. Husband, get up this minute, or help me Kami I will find an excuse to kill you myself. Ranma, pick up the boy. We need to take him to a clinic to be treated. No matter his sins, leaving him to die is even more dishonourable. Just don't be too gentle with him."

* * *

It was quiet as they walked to the Saotome house, Nodoka prodding her husband along with the family blade. Ranma walked robotically ahead, Ryoga unconscious in his arms.

"Son, there is a clinic here. Why don't we take him in?"

Ranma looked around in surprise. This place had no clinic, except Dr …

"Mom, the Doc has moved away."

But his mother was already knocking.

It was to his great surprise that the door opened and Dr Tofu himself stepped out. "Ranma! What a surprise! I only got in a few hours ago! No new injuries..."

The smile slipped off his face as he saw the lost boy in Ranma's arms, beaten and bloody, obvious impressions of a mallet on the skin beginning to show up. "What happened?" The doctor stared at the boy. Ranma could feel him looking at the aura. "Ah. P-chan is it? Akane find out?"

Ranma could only nod.

"Alright, bring him in, and I ll treat him. You can keep him here, and I will call the Tendos with my apologies in the morning. There was always something strange about the boy, but I never stopped to investigate."

And with that, he held the door open for the family to bring in their burden.


	12. Chapter 11

Hello All! I am still alive, just insanely busy, and marginally depressed again. On top of it, I appear to have polarised people, which saddens me. I do try to be fair, and every character (apart from Nabiki) will get their due in the end. So, Onwards!

Keeper - Actually, the worst is Kodachi. Ryoga needs help and love and there is likely a tragic life story. Kodachi doesn't have that, she just appears to be insane and insanely rich.

Richard - He didn't swear it to Ryoga. However, I do believe that since Ranma made the promise to who he though was Ryoga, he would not reverse his promise, regardless of whether Ryoga knew about it or not. Him knowing that he went back on his word, even if no one else would know would likely hurt more than all the training/torture that Genma had inflicted on him, because he seems like that kind of person.

James - I glad you like it.

Kitten Arina - I get that you didn't like a chapter, but essentially accusing me of racist treatment is pointless. My aim was actually to show that Ranma did act stupidly, but because it was the best thing to do in the circumstances, as he saw it. Akane will be treated very unfavourably later as well, so it is not preferential treatment - I am trying to keep the action more or less in character, and if you read carefully, only Akane treats him unfairly - the rest are angry that his actions led to a loss of honour on their or their family's part, but are more understanding of his motives. However, you are welcome to stop reading at any point.

**Chapter 11**

Morning woke two boys up simultaneously, but both were in very different parts of Tokyo as it happened. The sun streaming through his windows jerked Ranma awake quite late, as he had become used to being woken up by his father throwing him into the pond. There was only sunlight this day, however, and he was in an unfamiliar room – his room at the Saotome house, he realised. The building had been thankfully restored quite quickly, so when the Tendos had essentially pressured the family out the night before following the Ryoga debacle, it was back here that they came. There were still building works going on, but a wing of the house was finally habitable.

Ranma sighed. While he had no doubt that Nabiki and Ukyo, along with Kasumi would forgive his actions in time, it was probable that unless all of them talked Akane down from a rage, he had no hope of going back to that house in the near future. As it was, he was grateful that she had not really been allowed to speak the night before, and Nabiki, the more insightful one, took charge of the whole situation.

With a sigh, he got up, and started to get ready to help his mother around the house.

* * *

The other boy who had been woken up was Ryoga. He too found himself in unfamiliar surroundings – a white room, with a tiled ceiling, and a narrow bed. Moving any part of his body hurt, letting him assume that he had perhaps been beaten up. Which made it Ranma's fault.

The various bandages covering his body were preventing him from moving at all, so he settled on the other senses, as he imagined the work his wonderful Akane had gone to in order to get him taken care of him, he allowed his other senses to reach out into his surroundings.

Almost immediately, he heard two voices, at least one of which was familiar.

Nabiki Tendo was in the next room, and she was speaking to someone.

"So, you definitely had no idea?"

A man's voice responded. "I knew about the curse – it was hard not to seeing how his ki was always part-animal, same as Ranma's is part female. But no, I had no idea Akane or any of you were not aware of the fact, or that the ki was specifially that of a pig. Given the number of shape changers in Nerima, and the fact that all of them frequently got splashed with water, I saw that there was no way for him to hide a curse, much less be a convincing pet for anyone, let alone that he had tried to be one. You say Ranma could not tell any of you?"

Nabiki sighed, and a creak told him that she sent to sit down. "No, and to be honest, once I cooled down, I realise why he thought that he couldn't. Akane wouldn't believe him, and everyone else would blame him and probably assault him, and Shampoo would have taken advantage of the situation. And he told us he didn't want to be a liar and an honourless bastard like his dad, though not in those words, so I can see why he did what he did. It's amazing he turned out as decently as he did with that thing for a father. Plus, he tried so hard to tell us, that I feel stupid for not seeing it earlier. I am angry at him, and so is everyone else, but I can see that he had no way out of a situation he thought he had created for himself. I am sure that he blamed himself the whole time, and probably kept Akane from finding out about the curse directly to keep her from murdering everyone in a rage. Maybe if he had known you knew, he would have found a way to talk about this and resolve it without straining his honour, Dr. Tofu."

The man, who Ryoga realised must have been the doctor, sighed. "It would have solved a few issues, I agree. I am deeply disappointed in myself, though like Ranma and Shampoo, I didn't expect anything bad to happen from this. I am not even sure if I had ever seen Akane with P-chan - just pictures. I am going to be of more assistance, I hope, in the future."

"I, for one, am glad you are back."

"So, what did I miss?"

The rumble of voices moved away from the patient's room, straining his ability to hear due to injury, and Ryoga had a moment to think. It seemed that Ranma had been his usual self, and now everyone knew of his curse. Though something that the doctor said bothered him, something about him knowing because of the aura. Perhaps it was worth assuming that now Soun, Genma, Tofu and the Amazons knew his curse. Maybe they had said something? But no, Tofu confirmed he hadn't and the others, except Genma, had been too honourable.

He missed the footsteps approaching him.

"So, little wronged piglet is awake, is he?"

He started, and saw Nabiki leaning over him. Her grin was predatory. "We will start with five hundred thousand yen, spread out in weekly instalments, for me not telling Akane that you are here and letting her finish the job."

Ryoga sputtered and then remembered the events of the previous day, and attempted to get up. "No! Die, Saotome!"

Dr Tofu, who had drifted in behind the middle Tendo sister, hit a pressure point and Ryoga suddenly stopped being able to speak or move anything other than his head. "No need to strain your injuries Ryoga." There was a dark gleam in his eyes too.

Nabiki just continued to grin. "That is before I charge you for peeping on my family, abusing Ranma's honour and helping destroy our home. And don't look at me like that. I know what you are thinking - Ranma didn't tell anyone – Shampoo did. She did the honourable thing, a little late perhaps, but she is the one who came clean, while you hid behind your honour like a coward, piggy. Really, I should drain you dry and let Kasumi make you into a pork bun, since that is what MY honour demands, but I feel sorry for your mother. So I'll be contacting her today instead, and telling her what you have been up to. And getting her to help you with the payments, though I will be sure to stress that as she cannot bear the brunt of them - no need to bankrupt her if there is no need. I am sure that she will be devastated. Hopefully, she will disown you, and you can go back to being a worthless snack and stop being such a blemish on her honour."

He may not have been able to speak, but tears started to fall down his face. His mother had been the one bright spot in his life - with his father afflicted by the wandering curse, Ryoga's mother had been the one working multiple jobs, teaching her son skills like camping, and trying to instil a notion of an honourable life into him. The realisation that he had failed was painful.

"Oh, and one more thing. Come near any of us again voluntarily, and you will wish you were never born, pig brain. You can have him now, Doctor. Please, come by and see us sometime, before Kasumi and I move out. It will be lovely to catch up properly."

She turned around and walked out of the room and out of the clinic.

Tofu pressed another pressure point, and Ryoga found his mouth was able to move again.

"Well, the girls did quite a number on you. You have both arms broken, a double fracture on your leg, bruised pelvis and concussion. There is also the small matter of a lot of bruising and three broken ribs. But you are a quick healer, so in a day or two, all the minor damage will be gone and I ll have you transferred to the hospital for treatment of your leg and arms."

"It is all Ranma's fault." The shout seemed void and hollow even to him.

To his surprise, Tofu looked at him in disgust. "Don't look for pity here, Hibiki-san. What you did was despicable, and if I had been aware of it, I would have put an end to it myself. Sadly, I mistakenly believed that they all knew about your curse, and didn't have an idea that you were abusing Akane under the guise of being her pet."

"I was not abusing her! I love her!"

"You have a strange way of showing it then. I am sure they will keep this under wraps, but what you have done has disgraced the Tendos. In days gone by, Akane would have been forced to marry you, regardless of her hatred for you or commit seppuku. Is that what you wanted?"

Ryoga's mind was filled with images of Akane being his wife, and his eyes glazed over, and Tofu decided to cut if off. "Of course, not only would she hate you if she married you, she would probably either try to kill you, herself, cheat on you, beat you up, run away or make your life a living hell. And now, you made it worse by not telling you yourself. She will never forgive you for that."

And just like that, his daydream was crushed. He could see the disgust in Akane's eyes as she beat him into the floor with her mallet, her hitting him for everything, her making his life unbearable.

Things suddenly didn't seem to be Ranma's fault any more.

"Not to mention the fact that you already have a girlfriend you were honest with. I am not sure if she would forgive you for continuing to spy on other girls after you two got together. Or dreaming of someone else. And that, Hibiki-san, is your fault, and your fault alone for being a fickle boy. Shout if you feel any pain. I ll come back in a few hours to administer the medicine and change your bindings. I also need to interview you about your life. I suspect that I can get the Tendos to forgive you if a psychiatric evaluation is done and you are admitted to therapy, and show remorse for your actions."

And with that, the doctor let this patient to his own devices.

* * *

It only took three days of Ranma working at an insane pace at Ucchan's for Kasumi, Nabiki and Ukyo to forgive Ranma. The boy had been silent and withdrawn the entire time, not speaking and looking incredibly pained and guilty. He took trouble to never look at anyone directly, drew in a lot of business in both forms, changed shape with no arguing, and generally took his punishment as due. It had been decided that he would work as a waiter for the majority of the week, and as a waitress on Saturdays, as well as any days that Konatsu had off. At the insistence of Kasumi it was decided that unless it was best for the business, there was no need to demean him in addition to making him suffer.

It wasn't like they didn't understand how he was feeling, making forgiving him that much easier. While their anger had been fresh, it had been easy to assume that Ranma had been acting out of selfishness. However, after he apologised to them quietly each time he saw them, not expecting their forgiveness, his pain had become obvious as well, and they all found themselves melting slowly.

He too had known what it was like to not have a choice, not have a decision, not be included. He knew all too well what abuse looked and felt like. Nabiki felt that she had trapped him herself, by encouraging his silence with threats of financial and other penalties, and by the fact that Ranma wouldn't want Akane's relationship with the pig to be public knowledge. Worst of all, he was trapped in an inescapable situation. On one hand, there was the issue of him not having known the full extent of Ryoga's abuse, believing that the only person that had been used was Akane, who seemed friendly towards Ryoga in both incarnations. There was the guilt he dealt with for having caused a person he loved pain, as well as his friend.

On top of that, if he kept quiet, he would be seen as dishonourable and selfish. But if he did speak up, he would be tainted with the same honourless brush as his father - Ryoga would have been quite vocal about it. It was not surprising that, given the situation, he had acted the way he did – the way that, while not the best, did not stain anyone's honour too greatly, at least to his own knowledge.

That was not how either father had acted – their motives were purely self serving, with no regard for the well-being of any of their children, or the consequences of their actions. In the case of Tendo-san, who was normally publicly acknowledged as a good father, the betrayal was even greater, though Nabiki privately suspected that it was due to Genma's meddling with her father's moral compass that had caused the break with his usual character. Ukyo privately agreed with her partner's opinions, though she kept the thoughts that out of their three fathers, Tendo Soun was the kindest and most loving, and this was a temporary problem that he just needed to be shocked out of.

So, on the fourth day, as Ukyo watched Ranma slowly, monotonously clean the grill, after asking Konatsu to take the morning off, she could take it no longer. Quietly, she came up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

He flinched.

"Ranma honey?"

"Ukyo-san?" He clearly decided that he no longer had the right to use her name after what had happened to her, and kept addressing her in this way after she forbade him from calling her by her family name or Mistress.

"Ranchan? I. I forgive you."

It was as if a damn broke, and Ranma spun around out of her reach. The emotion in his face scared her. Surprise and fear, as well as anger, probably at himself, were clearly distinguishable, as well as a myriad of other, more hidden emotions. "But Ukyo, I. I let you all be hurt." Tears were starting to appear around his eyes.

"And it doesn't matter any more. Yes, it was wrong, and it was stupid and horrible and even cruel to Akane, but Ranchan, you are my best friend. You said it yourself. If Ryoga had done anything more than look, you would have beaten him up yourself, honour be damned. He didn't even do that, you know. He kept turning away, so other than abusing all our trust, he didn't do anything that's criminal. You didn't know. And you did the most honourable thing you could. Kasumi forgives you already and she understands, Nabiki is more angry at herself than at you for not figuring it all out sooner." Neither mentioned Akane. "I am not saying it was right, what you did, but looking back over your life and the kind of person you are, had you made a different choice, I would have been worried about your integrity and your sanity, honey. And you are sorry for it. Everyone will calm down again soon, you'll see, once they understand just how remorseful your are." She came over to the boy and flung her arm around his shoulders again, this time in a brotherly gesture. "If you start calling me Ucchan again, I ll let you keep the tips on earn on Saturdays if you split them equally between all three of us?"

Ranma was still anxious and looked remorseful, but nodded and managed a tiny smile. Ukyo was sure that he would be turning into a girl at some point later in the day to cry in relief that one of them had forgiven him. "Sure, Ucchan. Now, customers will be coming in, so let me go and finish cleaning, will you? Or Nabiki will not forgive me since I ll be costing her money, and she really hates that. She will never forgive me if I cost her a profit."

* * *

It was no surprise as a result that when Nabiki and Ranma came in for his shift that Sunday and found Konatsu trying to console a crying Ukyo, Ranma almost jumped out of his skin apologising for whatever he did.

He was even more surprised when instead of lashing out, when Ukyo saw her friends, she launched herself at Nabiki and incoherently cried into her shirt, while also attempting to hold onto Ranma. Instead of trying to get anything out of the crying chef, the middle Tendo turned to the cross dresser, while trying to awkwardly handle and console her partner. Her voice was frosty. "Talk. Now."

Konatsu looked like his employer had been crying on him for a while, as the entire front of his kimono was soaked. "She got a call this morning from her father. He has insisted that she sell up her restaurant to pay you, Nabiki and come home and marry by the end of the month, or he would disown her again. There was more, but Mistress didn't shout it out while on the phone, and she started crying before I could any more out of her."

Both of the new comers' eyes went cold at the statement. "So, the man still hasn't learnt his lesson, has he? Konatsu, could I use your phone please? I need you and Ranma to set up shop and cook, while I sort this mess out. I ll need to adjust the plans I have in motion a bit, but this should work out fine."

**AN:** I ve hit 35k in words! Madness. Next up - Kodachi get an idea of what Marriage with Ranma will entail.


End file.
